1848 $2.50 CAL. MS(PCGS#7749)

1848 $2.50 CAL. MS (PCGS#7749)

The March 2012 Baltimore Auction

详细说明: 1848 Liberty Quarter Eagle. CAL. MS-64 * (NGC). One of the first commemorative coins struck in honor of the arrival of the first shipment of gold from the California Gold Rush to the East. Enough gold was sent to coin 1,389 pieces, and each was stamped on the upper reverse field with CAL. to memorialize this event. Obviously in 1848 no one knew how long the Gold Rush in California would last, but as the first reports came East it was obvious that this gold discovery was probably going to be big.      Fully brilliant with slightly reflective fields and frosted devices. The surfaces are clean with no heavy disturbances. Identifiable by a tiny lintmark dangling down from Liberty's bust line just above the 4 and by two small nicks left of the CAL. countermark. Struck in yellow-gold with a slightly green cast, as usually seen. Most of the surviving examples of this rare issue are circulated, but a fair number were saved from that time such as the present near Gem example. Given some degree of likely duplication in the Census and Population Reports it is fairly certain that the present coin is in the top dozen known, and maybe much higher than that lofty level. The eye appeal is quite high and thus NGC awarded this prized rarity with their "*" designation.