1848 $2.50 CAL. MS(PCGS#7749)

August 2019 ANA U.S. Coins Auction Rosemont, IL

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

5281

等级

VF35

价格

304,927

详细说明

Historic 1848 CAL. Quarter Eagle Our Nation's First Commemorative Coin 1848 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. CAL. VF-35 (PCGS). CAC. This is a warmly patinated, visually appealing example of a classic issue in the Liberty Head quarter eagle series. Both sides exhibit dominant khaki-gold patina with more vivid highlights of reddish-rose intermingled around the peripheries. Overall detail is suitably bold for the assigned grade, the eagle typically softly struck on the high points, yet retaining some sharper detail in the recesses of the wings. The obverse is appreciably bolder with plenty of sharp detail to Liberty's hair and most star centrils crisp. Pleasingly smooth in hand for having seen considerable commercial use, there is plenty of eye appeal to tempt the advanced collector seeking an example of this eagerly sought issue. In 1848 some 230 or so ounces of gold bullion from the recently discovered California gold fields was sent to Secretary of War William L. Marcy by Colonel R.B. Mason, acting military governor of California. Marcy turned the bullion over to the Mint, where it was used to strike 1,389 quarter eagles. In order to denote the origin of the gold used for this special limited mintage, the letters CAL. were punched into the upper reverse field above the eagle's head on all the specimens struck. This distinguishing feature marks the 1848 CAL. quarter eagle as our nation's first commemorative issue, produced 44 years prior to the 1892 Columbian Exposition half dollar. Given the popularity of the California Gold Rush era with numismatists and other collectors, the 1848 CAL. has long enjoyed strong demand. Indeed, the acquisition of an 1848 CAL. quarter eagle is a defining moment in the formation of any collection. Survivors are scarce, and appearances on the open market are rare, so much so that even the offering of a lower grade example represents an important opportunity. A handsome and technically sound Choice VF, the present coin is sure to see spirited bidding at auction. Ranked #54 in the influential reference 100 Greatest U.S. Coinsby Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth. Provenance: From the Maurice Snow Collection. PCGS# 7749. NGC ID: 25HA. Click here for certification details from PCGS.