1838-C $2.50 Classic Head Quarter Eagle NGC AU53

A classic American rarity. NGC has graded 34 as AU53, with 183 finer.

The 1838-C quarter eagle is a very popular issue for two important reasons. This is a first-year issue, and is one of only two Charlotte quarter eagles that employ the Classic Head, Obverse Mintmark design. Due to its popularity and strong demand, there is constant pressure on its pricing to collectors. Plus, with its mintage of 7,880 the 1838-C is a very rare coin to begin with. Typically seen in VF and XF grades, it becomes quite rare in AU55 and AU58. Writes gold specialist Doug Winter, "Many of the best known 1838-C quarter eagles came onto the market in the early 1900s, indicating that a small hoard may have been discreetly sold during that time."

William Kneass, the Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, who crafted the Classic Head design.

The strike of this issue is much sharper than the half eagle that the Charlotte Mint produced that same year. The obverse always has better details than the reverse. The curls of the hair above the ear are weak, while there is good detail in the rest of Liberty's hair. Typically, the stars are blunt and most do not show their radial lines. Denticles are quite sharp and long on the obverse. There is weakness on the strike on the reverse at the juncture of the shield and the eagle's right wing. The eagle's left wing is always weaker at the top than near the bottom. Writes Winter, "The leg and the claws are sharp and the neck feathers are usually mostly visible. The denticles are weaker at the top of the reverse than at the bottom."