Southern U.S. gold coins (issued at facilities in Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans), have a longstanding coterie of devotees because of their low mintages and high levels of rarity. In many cases these pieces have surface characteristics that appear different from Philadelphia Mint gold coins of the same era. The popularity of these pieces has been enhanced in recent decades by reference books penned by such numismatic luminaries as David Akers, Q. David Bowers, Walter Breen, and Doug Winter.
The 1851-D quarter eagle is an excellent representative of the U.S. southern gold series. It has a comparatively small mintage of just 11,264 pieces. Combined population data of the two leading certification services suggest that probably no more than 200 examples survive in all grades combined, a number that amounts to less than 2% of the original production. Specimens grading AU-58 are very rare, and those grading MS-60 or finer are all but unobtainable. The offering of a high-quality example in this week’s Stack’s Bowers Galleries iAuction presents collectors with a splendid opportunity to acquire a highly-desirable example of an elusive and eagerly-sought issue. This item and all others in the current iAuction will close for bidding at 10 pm Eastern Time on Sunday, June 8, 2014. To view this coin, along with the rest of our current iAuction, click the Browse Auctions tab on the StacksBowers.com homepage.
