1843-D Half Eagle (1843-D $5), NGC AU50. Some mint luster is found within the devices of this branch mint 1843-D Half Eagle. The obverse shows light abrasion marks consistent with the grade, somewhat less so on the reverse. The strike is strong on the reverse and a little weaker on the central portion of the obverse. There is also slight wear on the highest points of the design, which is in keeping with the grade.

Christian Gobrecht designed this half eagle to replace the Classic Heads of William Kneass. He used a coronet design, similar to the Large Cents of 1816 to 1857. On the obverse, Liberty is seen facing left, wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. The date is centered below the truncation. Liberty is surrounded by thirteen stars. On the reverse, the heraldic eagle also faces left. It is surrounded by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The denomination is written as FIVE D. The previous design had the denomination written as 5D. The mint mark, in this case a D for Dahlonega, is above FIVE.

All Charlotte and Dahlonega gold is rare in any condition and eagerly sought by collectors. The 1843-D had an original mintage of 98,452. In its population report NGC shows a total population for this date of 207 in all grades.