1839 Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC.
A lovely orange-olive example with undeniable originality to lustrous, frosty surfaces. Well struck overall and quite smooth for having seen light commercial use. Christian Gobrecht's redesign of the half eagle in 1839 introduced one of the longest running series in United States coinage. His modified portrait of Liberty is smaller than that on previous half eagle types, with braided hair along the forehead and a bun at the back of the head. The reverse design is similar to the outgoing type, although Gobrecht reworked the eagle to give it a more robust appearance. More readily obtainable in an absolute sense than either the 1839-C or 1839-D, the 1839 is the most realistic type candidate of this first-year trio. This Philadelphia Mint issue circulated extensively, however, and the vast majority of survivors are well worn, if not also impaired. With superior Choice AU quality, as verified by CAC, the coin offered here is sure to find many eager buyers.
PCGS# 8191. NGC ID: 25S7.
PCGS Population: 21; 27 finer (MS-64 finest). CAC Population: 8; 6.
From the Fairmont Collection - JBR Set.