Thanks for sharing this one. I really like the OBV mint mark coinage of that year. Hoping to add a few branch mint 39's. It's an AU but hard to tell details or not from photos.
With 3 string collectors stating details and cleaned you may want to reconsider having this coin professionally graded.
I think it is AU-55 cleaned. But it will probably straight-grade at AU-58. I have seen early gold with much more wear grade at AU-55. Quite a nice coin.
Wow. You don't see one of these every day. It would sell in an instant even if it does come back cleaned.
Definitely AU55 to AU58 details, but the images show some hairlines on both obverse and reverse. That said, I think an AU-Details/Cleaned grade will be the result.
That is the ANACS opinion. It does not carry the same weight as PCGS and NGC. On the other hand, the photos might be making the hairlines look worse than they are. I am quite familiar with that from my experience with taking photos.
Looks cleaned however given the rarity of these coins I don’t think the attempt can hurt it a great coin even in a details holder
Oblique or tangential lighting frequently over exaggerates imperfections in the fields of gold coins. I’ve had many gold coins straight graded by NGC showing the same imperfections using oblique lighting. I can’t speak for PCGS since I exclusively use NGC for all of my grading services. Nice work @ilmcoins for following your gut on this beauty!
You are correct and so is @man2004 ... I may have put everyone at a disadvantage with my poor photography. The photograph of the coin below was taken at the same time and shows similar marks. It straight graded as well. Probably my lighting is the culprit.
The 1839-O Quarter Eagle does not get as much respect as you might think among the specialists. Doug Winter has pronounced it "common in all grades" up to AU-55. "It becomes scarce in accurately graded AU-58 and the lower Mint State grades." It becomes "rare" in MS-63 and above. I probably over paid for this one, which is graded AU-58 CAC. I thought the price was too high, but oddly enough the dealer, whom my wife knows, convinced her I should buy it. It is quite nice, but it's not quite Mint State. It is the common variety with the dies rotated in the "medal strike" position.