1839-C $5 MS(PCGS#8192)

1839-C $5 MS (PCGS#8192)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: Die State I. An exciting offering for both advanced Southern gold enthusiasts and CAC collectors, this is the only 1839-C half eagle in any certified grade to be awarded with a coveted Gold CAC sticker. It is a lovely coin with enough sharp detail, frosty mint luster and eye appeal to suggest an AU grade. Both sides are further adorned with wonderfully original honey-rose and orange-gold colors. A few light marks are scattered about, but the surfaces present as remarkably smooth during in-hand viewing. The strike is razor sharp to full in all but a few isolated areas, where softness is minor and of no concern in a lightly circulated early date Liberty Head gold coin. Easily one of the most desirable representatives of the 1839-C issue that we have ever had the privilege of bringing to auction.<p>In 1839, the design of the half eagle was changed to Christian Gobrecht's new Liberty Head design, replacing the earlier Classic Head coins designed by William Kneass. The coins of 1839 were struck using an obverse hub unlike any other in the series that can be distinguished by the placement of the tenth star on the obverse in relation to Liberty's hair bun. Most dramatically, the mintmark was placed directly above the date on the obverse, a placement changed to the reverse the following year. With as few as 200 examples surviving across all grades, this one-year type from the Charlotte Mint is among the most desirable issues for half eagle specialists.