Lot 310
1848-C $2.50 Liberty. Extremely Fine. Original surfaces, copperish red hue. Mintage 16,788.Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $1,700
Lot 311
1848 $2.50 Liberty. Details of Extremely Fine. Cleaned. A scarce coin with a very low Mintage of only 6,500 examples. (PCGS Pop. 62 in all grades, 9/26/11).Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $500
Lot 312
1848 $2.50 Liberty. "CAL." Above Eagle. PCGS graded AU-55. Many consider the 1848 CAL. to be America's first commemorative coin to observe the arrival of the first California gold shipment to the U.S. Mint. A hand punch was employed as an expedient measure to stamp the reverse of 1,389 quarter eagles to mark the occasion. Since it was a hand operation rather than an addition to a working die, there are slight variations in positioning of the punch.As a member of the long-running Liberty Head series, the 1848 CAL. quarter eagles join such other rarities as: the 1841 quarter eagle, a proof-only production; the incredibly rare 1854-S (see lot 345), the equally historic first issue from the San Francisco Mint; the 1863, another proof-only date; the low-mintage 1875, produced to the extent of only 400 coins; and many other low-mintage issues of lesser notoriety, as well as numerous varieties and branch-mint oddities.
Historical Notes:
Shortly after the discovery of gold in California, some 228 ounces of Gold Rush bullion was sent by California's military governor, Colonel R.B. Mason, to Secretary of War William Learned Marcy. This was the first shipment east from the west coast's rich deposits. Marcy in turn sent the gold ore to Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson at the Philadelphia Mint, where it was received on December 8 and was assayed at an average .894 fine. Marcy urged that, "As many may desire to procure specimens of coin made of the California gold, by exchanging other coin for it, I would suggest that it be made into quarter eagles with a distinguishing mark on each…" After enough gold had been taken from the shipment to strike Congressionally-authorized medals for Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, the remainder was converted into quarter eagles, and as Marcy had suggested one distinguishing feature was added to each coin: the abbreviation "CAL." was impressed into the reverse above the eagle. (PCGS Pop. 6 in AU-55, only 28 graded higher and a total of 64 in all grades, 9/26/11). Ex-William R. Sieck.
Estimate $30,000 - 40,000.
Realized: $55,000
Lot 313
1848-D $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded AU-55. Mintage 13,771 (PCGS Pop. 19 in AU-55, only 45 graded higher, the highest graded being six MS-63 examples. Total of 144 in all grades, 8/22/11).Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Realized: $3,500
Lot 314
1849 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded (Genuine, Cleaned), Details of About Uncirculated. Mintage 23,294 (PCGS Pop. 76 in all grades, 8/22/11).Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $475
Lot 315
1849 $2.50 Liberty. Details of Very Fine+. Cleaned. Mintage 23,294 (PCGS Pop. 76 in all grades, 8/22/11).Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $325
Lot 316
1849-C $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded AU-55. Variety 1, the only known dies for the date. The 1849-C quarter eagle comes from a low mintage of 10,220 pieces, and examples are scarce in all grades. Estimates of the surviving population are from 125 to 150 pieces. Only 30 to 40 specimens are extant in AU grades. (PCGS Pop. 13 in AU-55, only 9 graded higher, only two of which are Mint State. Total of 87 in all grades, 8/22/11).Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
Realized: $11,000
Lot 317
1849-D $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded (Genuine, Mount Removed), Details of Extremely Fine. Mintage 10,945.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $1,000
Lot 318
1850 $2.50 Liberty. Very Fine. Obverse with small scratch. Mintage 252,923.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $280
Lot 319
1850-C $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded AU-55. Mintage 9,148 (PCGS Pop. 14 in AU-55, only 12 graded higher, the highest graded being two MS-62 examples. Total of 91 in all grades, 9/26/11).Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Realized: $4,750