1839-C Quarter Eagle - 1839-C $2.50 NGC AU58. This low mintage, Southern branch mint, near-Uncirculated 1839-C Classic Head Quarter Eagle has muted mint luster within its devices. The strike is somewhat uneven in that the upper stars show some definition, while the lower ones are weak. On the reverse, the rims are strong as are the design details. Sufficient separation in the lines of Libertys curls and the headband exist to confirm the grade. The surfaces are original, clean, and, for the grade, free of notable distractions.

In the 1790s gold was accidentally discovered in North Carolina. The first United States Gold Rush took place in the early 1800s in North Carolina and Georgia. In the area around Charlotte, North Carolina almost 100 gold mines were in operation. Second only to farming, prospecting for gold became the main source of employment in North Carolina. The most gold produced in the United States came from North Carolina until 1848, when it was discovered in California.

The gold that was produced at Charlotte had to be refined and standardized so it would have commercial value. Private mints like the Bechtlers and Templeton Reids opened to assay the new gold and convert it to coinage. In order to standardize this coinage and because transportation to Philadelphia was so poor as a result of bandits, unfriendly Indians, and poor roads, a branch mint in Charlotte was opened in 1836.

All Charlotte gold coins are scarce. Much of it is rare, and some is extremely rare because of a combination of low mintages and melting overseas. Many coins that were minted before the Civil War were used to purchase armaments abroad. Much of this coinage was melted in Europe to make coins of the realm. Charlotte gold is highly sought after by collectors and investors as well as those interested in collections with a Civil War connection.

The 1839-C quarter eagle is in demand especially from set collectors. In its population report, NGC shows 61 in AU58 with 18 better.