By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The Philadelphia Mint struck over two million gold cash in 1850, a couple of million of which had been the brand new Liberty Head Double Eagle denomination, a $20 gold coin with a troubled growth cycle launched one yr after its diminutive Gold Greenback counterpart.
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Philadelphia Mint Gold Coin Manufacturing in 1850 |
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| 1850 Gold Greenback | 481,953 | ||
| 1850 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle | 252,923 | ||
| 1850 Liberty Head Half Eagle | 64,491 | ||
| 1850 Liberty Head Eagle | 291,451 | ||
| 1850 Liberty Head Double Eagle | 1,170,261 | ||
With a mintage of 252,923, the 1850 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle is the commonest of the 4 mint-specific points. The one different emission to be struck to any substantial diploma was the 1850-O Liberty Head Quarter Eagle, essentially the most plentiful gold coin struck in 1850 by the New Orleans Mint. That coin had a mintage of simply 84,000 items, nonetheless.
In grades starting from XF to AU, the 1850 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle is much less widespread than the 1851 Philly strike however ought to pose no actual problem to the budget-minded collector. In Selection Mint State or above, nonetheless, the 1850 reveals its true character. The main grading companies seemingly over-report at MS63 since examples graded MS64 and above are uncommon. Public sale knowledge at this degree is scant and we wouldn’t be shocked to be taught that the perfect cash sometimes commerce privately by sellers. Of the 2 cash reported by NGC at MS67, we’d love to search out out extra about them.
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Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens
Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS65 (1, 10/2024), NGC MS67 (2, 10/2024), and CAC MS64 (1:0 stickered:graded, 10/2024).
- PCGS MS64+ CAC #25038627: Stack’s Bowers, June 20, 2013, Lot 2390 – $12,161.25; DLRC, June 16, 2019, Lot 612393 – $18,350; Del Loy Hansen. Lustrous. Small spot on the backside left of the attention. Small upright mark between stars 3 and 4. Lengthy skinny hairline scratch behind Liberty’s neck. Star 10 is weak. Small horizontal mark above eagle’s proper wing.
- NGC MS64: “The Clara Assortment,” Stack’s, April 17, 2007, Lot 503 – $7,130.
- NGC MS64 #1726747-004: Heritage Auctions, July 28, 2003, Lot 10133 – $4,830; Heritage Auctions, February 16, 2007, Lot 4318 – $4,887.50. Deep vertical hit to the precise of star 4. Eagle’s proper leg is weak. Two ticks above eagle’s proper wing.
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1850 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle Coin Specs
| Nation: | United States of America |
| Yr of Situation: | 1850 |
| Denomination: | $2.50 (USD) |
| Mintmark: | None (Philadelphia) |
| Mintage: | 252,923 |
| Alloy: | .900 Gold, .100 Copper |
| Weight: | 4.18 g |
| Diameter: | 18.00 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike |
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