I am slowly trying to complete a gold type set, which of course is going to be plenty costly but is also going to be time consuming. I started with the 2.5 dollar coins knowing they were going to be the easiest to assemble and I could get a good feel for how gold grades before I start going willie nillie on $20 pieces. I already have a $10 indian and a $3 princess so I added and 1914 D 2.5 indian and a 1906 2.5 Liberty head. Then I asked my guy if he could locate two nice classic head gold coins for me, not in bad shape but not so expensive that I couldn't afford them. After a bit of searching he has come up with my classic 2.5 This 1836, which I believe has the block 8 has a mintage of 547,986 which is the highest during the 6 years that they were minted. They are still very hard to find, and gold is soft but this one has great details for the price. It appears to be somewhere between a VF-30 or VF-35 has nice full star details and a full LIBERTY albeit a bit smushed by the IB. The eagle on the reverse has excellent feather details and almost a full shield, there is a small scratch above the eagle but I think it adds to the character of the 173 year old gold coin.
I think it's a neat coin. What I really like, is that there is a lot of 'dirt' in the devices, so I don't think it's been subjected to cleaning, which removes the lovely patina old gold takes on. It's what I'd call an 'honest' coin.
Very nice BQ!! Congratulations on your purchase. This is a very rewarding type set to have accomplished. Also knowing that your coins have a lot of intrinsic value on top of their numismatic value. My 1839-O quarter eagle classic head is actually in very similar condition. High end VF with some hits and a few scratches. You should post pics of your other gold beauties!! I'd really like to see your $10 indian. Mine is in dire need of an upgrade, lol. I am still looking for my $3 princess and a type II dollar gold piece to complete my set.
I probably don't have to tell anyone this, but please, only buy $3 and $1 gold properly certified, as fakes abound! (could be extended to all US gold issues, though!)
yes indeed. I learned that lesson the hard way about a year and a half ago. The ONLY way to purchase them is certified.
can someone educate me? what is it with the date on this coin that looks really odd to me on this coin? The 3 is what started me looking at it, and the longer I looked, the worse it started to look to me. I also don't like the re-tooling (engraving) of the 2 in one-half on the reverse. Is it just me?
For this coin, the date is a bit catywompus, and the two "2s" on the reverse are different fonts. Compare with the one on the bottom of the page from the PCGS website. It seems to match to me. http://www.coinfacts.com/quarter_eagles/classic_head_quarter_eagles/1836_quarter_eagle_varieties.htm
absolutely correct, they match. I guess it speaks to the technology with which this coin was made. This is from the era when they went from open collar to closed collar strikes IIRC, and I had forgotten how crude at times the engraving was during this era. It seems like the die manufacturing improved greatly when the mint went to the closed collar presses.
