1032

1854-D $2 1/2 MS60 PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1854-D $2 1/2 MS60 PCGS.
1854-D $2 1/2 MS60 PCGS. Variety 17-M. (per Doug Winter's second edition and revised attribution system). The only die pair used this year. Reverse of 1850-1859.RARITY INFORMATION: As one might expect from an issue with an original mintage figure of just 1,760 pieces, the 1854-D is very rare in any grade. It is tied for the third rarest issue in the series in terms of overall rarity and it is the sixth rarest of twenty issues in high grades. There are an estimated 75-85 pieces known with around a dozen in AU and five to six in Uncirculated. The finest is the PCGS MS62 in the Duke's Creek Collection. PCGS has graded three other coins in Uncirculated (an MS61 and two MS60s), while NGC shows two MS61s.STRIKE: The quality of strike on this coin is above average for the issue. The obverse has very nice detail with strong hair curls, full radial lines in the stars and well-formed denticles. The reverse, as usual, is not as sharp. There is some weakness on the eagle's left (facing) leg and both claws. The denticles are sharp in certain areas and are weak from 11 to 2 o'clock and from 6 to 8 o'clock.SURFACES: There are some very light hairlines (not from cleaning) on the obverse and the reverse. What appear to be marks near star 12 is, in fact, a diagnostic raised patch of die rust. A small mint-made planchet chip in the lower right obverse field is barely noticeable. On the reverse, there is a tiny planchet flake behind the eagle's head. This issue is often seen with very heavily abraded surfaces and the present example is far cleaner than usual.LUSTER: Both sides show a considerable amount of luster. The obverse becomes slightly reflective as it is tilted towards a light source while the reverse is more frosty. There are some very slight breaks in the luster as one would expect from the assigned grade but this piece has far more flash than all but a handful of survivors.COLORATION: Both sides have a light green-gold and orange hue. There is a slight amount of haze that appears to be easily removable. Most 1854-D quarter eagles have been harshly cleaned at some time.EYE APPEAL: Many small-sized gold coins graded MS60 are not attractive, but this piece is a definite exception to the rule. It has very clean surfaces, nice color and luster, and decent color that should improve when the light haze mentioned above is removed. This high level of eye appeal is made more significant by the fact that this is a rare, desirable issue that is seldom found with a nice appearance.COMPARABLES: The finest known 1854-D quarter eagle, graded MS62 by PCGS, sold for $63,250 in our February 1999 auction. In our January 1999 FUN Sale, a PCGS MS61 realized $34,500. In David Akers' Pittman Collection Sale, held in May 1998, an NGC MS61 brought $28,600. And another NGC MS61 was sold for $23,500 in our May 2000 auction.PEDIGREE: Obtained from Doug Winter and Lee Minshull in July 1999; earlier in a North Carolina collection and obtained privately from Stack's in the early 1990s. Important notice: Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.