Quarter Eagle -> 1841-C

Vitae

  • Quarter Eagles 1838 - 1860
  • Liberty Head 1840 - 1860
  • Diameter: 18.2 millimeters
  • Fineness: .900
  • Weight: 64.5 grains
  • Designer: Christian Gobrecht
  • Edge: Reeded
  • Coiner: John R. Bolton

The 1841-C is one of the rarest quarter eagles from this mint, especially in high grades. The quality of strike is acceptable although many do not show full definition at the centers. Most are very heavily abraded and this is one of the hardest coins from this mint to find with acceptable surfaces. This is compounded by the fact that most have been cleaned at one time and show poor luster and unappealing color. Just 70-80 1841-C quarter eagles are known and it is extremely hard to locate coins grading higher than Extremely Fine-45. It is estimated that between eight and ten About Uncirculated examples exist as well as two to four in Mint State. This date will prove to be one of the hardest Charlotte quarter eagles for the condition-conscious collector to locate.

Condition Census

  1. Byron Reed Collection. Mint State-63 or so. This coin was retained by the Omaha City Library and was not sold in the Christie's/Spink America October 1995 sale of pieces from this collection.
  2. John Pittman Collection. Mint State-60 or better.
  3. Private Collection, ex Paramount 1974 private treaty sale. Unseen by me but described by David Akers in his book on quarter eagles. Mint State-60 or better.
  4. Private Collection, ex Tangible Investments of America (Silvano de Genova), 1995. Graded MS-61 by NGC.
  5. Private Collection, ex Winthrop Carner, 1991, possibly earlier from Stack's Bareford Collection (12/78): 87 and before that in Stack's "H.R Lee" sale (10/47). Graded AU-55 by PCGS. This coin would grade AU-58 by today's standards.