LIBERTY HEAD (NO MOTTO ON REVERSE) FIVE DOLLARS OR HALF EAGLE (1839-1866)
1859-C Half Eagle
1859-C
Half Eagle
PCGS No:
8281
Mintage:
Circulation
strikes:
31,847
Proofs:
none
Designer:
Christian
Gobrecht
Diameter:
±21.65
millimeters
Metal content:
Gold - 90%
Other - 10%
Weight:
129 grains
(8.24 grams
Edge:
Reeded
Mintmark:
"C"
(for Charlotte, NC) below the eagle on the reverse
Introduction:
Data on the Charlotte branch are from the National Archives.
Pursuant to resolutions of the Secession Convention,
December 1860, rebel authorities seized the branch,
April 20, 1861, hoisting a Confederate flag over the
building, hauling down the Union flag. They required
all officials and employees to take oaths of allegiance
to the CSA; they fired all who refused. Operations continued
as usual, including [887] half eagles delivered in May;
the branch closed in October. At closure, someone shipped
to Philadelphia a parcel of 12 half eagles reserved
for assay from the February - April coinages under Union
control. The Assay Commission tested them, February
1862, and found them all within legal limits of weight
and fineness.
Auction Appearances
and Collateral Evidence:
The 1859-C half eagle is an interesting issue in terms
of appearance. All of the known exam¬ples of the
date have a reverse that is very poorly impressed. It
is thought that the reverse die was defective in some
way. The 1859-C half eagle can be difficult to grade
in many cases, as the obverse is usually sharp. Most
of the 1859-C half eagles offered are in the Very Fine
to Extremely Fine grade range. Examples of the date
in About Uncirculated are scarce but are seen at auction
on a regular basis. The 1859-C half eagle is very rare
in Mint State, with most falling in the lower echelons
of Uncirculated. The finest known example of the date
is the incomparable NGC MS-66 coin that was at one time
in the collections of John Clapp, Louis Eliasberg, Stanley
Elrod, and Ed Milas. The coin is the finest half eagle
known from the Charlotte Mint.
Number of Appearances:
85 (25%)
Comments:
To the best of my
knowledge, all 1859-C Half Eagles have a weak, indistinct
reverse. In my opinion, this weakness is not a function
of strike but rather is the result of problems with
the dies. In fact, the obverses of most specimens
I have seen have generally been well struck. Because
of the reverse weakness, grading 1859-C Half Eagles
is difficult and even AU or uncirculated pieces give
the impression of being "worn". VF or EF
examples are all that are generally available but
there are a few strictly uncirculated specimens known.
