1846-D/D Half Eagle NGC MS61 - 1846-D/D $5 NGC MS61. This rare, Mint State, Southern branch mint, repunched mintmark variety 1846-D/D Half Eagle is tied for third finest at NGC with just 2 better. The coin shows flashy luster in protected areas of both sides. The surfaces are a mixture of yellow and greenish-gold, which is typical of the Southern mints. The color and luster both affirm the coins originality. The surfaces are clean for the grade with no individual abrasion marks that are worthy of description. The coin is well struck with full details on the centers of the stars, Libertys hair, the eagles neck, and the area to the lower left of the shield. The mintmark is boldly repunched over a D that was originally too far to the right and too high. 

Christian Gobrecht designed the half eagle. It shows a left facing profile of Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed coronet. Her hair is tied in the back and there are two loose curls that hang down her neck. Around the head are thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date is below the truncation. At the periphery of the coin are dentils. The coin also has a reeded edge. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle similar to the one on the Classic Head half eagle except that the eagle is smaller and its neck is not bent so aggressively. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, except for its wing tips, in an arc. The denomination is below, separated with dots, and written as FIVE D. The mintmark is on the reverse below the eagle.

Christian Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. This was an excellent job and Gobrecht was understandably reluctant to work for the Mint for less money than he was making at the engraving firm.

In order to persuade him to leave, Mint Director Robert Patterson prevailed upon Chief Engraver William Kneass, who had had a stroke, to take less in salary so more money would be available to hire Gobrecht on a permanent basis. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

In its population report, NGC shows 4 1846-D/D Half Eagles in MS61 condition with only 2 better, the finer of which is an MS63.