1839-D Classic Head Quarter Eagle. HM-1, Winter 1-B. Rarity-5. Strong Branch, Berry. AU-55 (PCGS). The 1839-D quarter eagle is a historic and challenging early gold issue. This exceptional AU-55 example exhibits a blend of hard, frosty luster and bright honey-gold color to both sides. The surfaces are uncommonly smooth for the grade and retain bold to sharp striking detail to virtually all design elements.<p>1839 was the first year of coinage for quarter eagles at the Dahlonega Mint, the final year of quarter eagle coinage of the design type, and the second of just two years with an obverse mintmark position (the first year, 1838, saw branch mint coinage from only the Charlotte facility). In 1840, Christian Gobrechts Liberty Head design replaced William Kneass short-lived Classic Head motif of 1834 to 1839, and the mintmark position was moved to the reverse die.<p>The 1839-D has a modest mintage of 13,674 pieces. The foremost experts in this series agree on the number of coins extant, with Doug Winter estimating 200 to 250 and Daryl J. Haynor (<em>United States Classic Gold Coins of 1834-1839</em>, 2020) stating a more precise 225. The former author ranks the 1839-D as the 14th rarest of 20 Dahlonega Mint quarter eagle issues, a distinction it shares with the 1845-D. Haynor ranks the 1839-D as the third rarest Classic Head quarter eagle after the 1838-C and 1839. "Compared to the other dates," the author states, "the 1839-D is more proportionally found in the lower grades of Fine and Extremely Fine." It is particularly noteworthy, therefore, that this impressive collection includes a Choice AU coin to represent the 1839-D.<p>The two varieties of this issue combine a single obverse with two reverse dies. Both are of similar availability in numismatic circles, with a slight edge in scarcity going to HM-1, Winter 1-B, offered here. PCGS# 7700. NGC ID: 25G5. From the George Schwenk Collection.
