1859-D Half Eagle - 1859-D $5 Half Eagle Medium D PCGS MS61

1859-D $5 Half Eagle Medium D, PCGS MS61. One of the scarcest half eagles minted at the Dahlonega Mint, the 1859-D had a mintage of just 10,366 pieces. It is the second lowest mintage for the series minted in Dahlonega with only the 1861-D half eagle, a legendary rarity, having a lower mintage. Examples are scarce in all grades, but most examples that are offered on the market are in circulated grades, often no finer than Extremely Fine. About Uncirculated coins are very scarce, and uncirculated examples of this date are rare. There are two different varieties known for this issue, depending on the size of the mintmark. The large D, first publicized in the Bass II sale appears to be the scarcer of the two, with the medium D being the more available. The difference however, is small, and most coins remain unattributed. While the present specimen is a definite example of the medium D variety, it is always possible to find large D specimens unattributed.

One problem a collector has when assembling a set of Dahlonega coins is the quality of which the coins were produced. Even after the Mint in Georgia had been in operation for several decades, many coins were weakly struck on non-perfect planchets. So, even with an 1859-D half eagle the striking quality will vary widely with every coin which is seen. The present specimen is one of the better examples in that regard, having only minor weakness in the centers, a diagnostic of the variety and seen on even the best struck specimens. Darker orange gold color and full luster are seen, with no friction wear on the highest points, confirming it status as a truly uncirculated gold coin from the Dahlonega Mint. Rare, and in our opinion undervalued, this would make a great buy for the specialist or conscious investor.