1856-D $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle, PCGS AU53 - Very Rare 40-GG Variety

Doug Winter writes, "The 1856-D is one of the rarest – and certainly the most underrated – Dahlonega half eagles.... it is many times rarer than dates such as the 1852-D through the 1854-D....The 1856-D half eagle is a scarce date. It is typically seen in Extremely Fine grades. Accurately graded About Uncirculated examples are rare and it becomes very rare in the higher AU grades.... The 1856-D is generally one of the better struck of the late date Dahlonega half eagles."

Heritage Auctions provides the details of this rare variety:

This is a rare second variety of the 1856-D half eagle, showing the mintmark centered between the V in FIVE and the fletching, and the 1 in the date centered over two dentils. The reverse die is heavily cracked. One curving crack runs rim-to-rim from the D in UNITED, through the eagle's neck, to the F in OF. Another runs from the rim at the R in AMERICA, through the arrowheads, and up through the shield toward the first crack. A third branches off of the second crack in the lower shield and extends downward and to the left to join the rim near the F in FIVE. The severe die cracking likely led to this die pair's retirement, and by extension its rarity.