1839-O $2.50 MS(PCGS#7701)

1839-O $2.50 MS (PCGS#7701)

The August 2010 Boston Rarities Sale

Description du lot: 1839-O Classic Quarter Eagle. Winter Variety Two. MS-60 (NGC). This piece exhibits an exceptional sharpness of strike for an early date Quarter Eagle from the New Orleans Mint, and there really is no significant lack of detail to report. Satiny in sheen with rich khaki-orange color, the surfaces are also praiseworthy due to a general lack of sizeable or otherwise individually distracting abrasions. There is a faint pinscratch in the upper-reverse field that parallels the top of the eagle's right (facing) wing, but we mention that feature only as a potential pedigree marker.<br />     The first Quarter Eagle issue from the New Orleans Mint, the 1839-O is also the only O-mint delivery of the Classic type (to include also the Classic Half Eagle). It is a scarce issue in an absolute sense with Doug Winter (2006) accounting for only 350-400 survivors from a mintage of 17,781 pieces. Uncs are conditionally rare and seldom encountered in numismatic circles.