1844-C Liberty Half Eagle. AU Details--Cleaning (PCGS).；This affordable 1844-C half eagle offers overall sharp definition, pleasing olive-orange patina, and faint traces of satin luster in the protected areas around some of the devices. Rarer than even the mintage of 23,631 pieces might suggest, the 1844-C saw particularly heavy circulation due to a combination of factors. The first of these was a loss of confidence in the privately minted Bechtler coins among the contemporary public, while the second was a fire in the Charlotte Mint that forced a suspension in production in 1845 (there is no 1845-C half eagle issue). Finer than the typically encountered VF or EF survivor, the present example has much to recommend it to budget-minded Southern gold enthusiasts.；From our (Stacks) sale of February 1980, lot 62. Lot tag included.
