1849-C Gold Dollar. Close Wreath. MS-62 (PCGS).This lovely 1849-C gold dollar exhibits a pronounced satin to semi-prooflike finish. It is boldly struck in all areas with gorgeous honey and deep orange-gold patina to both sides. The Philadelphia Mint sent two pairs of dies to the Charlotte facility in June of 1849 for use in its initial delivery of gold dollars. One of these reverse dies featured the Open Wreath design that constitutes the entire mintage of 1849-D and 1849-O gold dollars, as well as a portion of the 1849 Philadelphia Mint delivery. For reasons that have been lost to history, the Charlotte Mint struck only a small number of Open Wreath gold dollars before switching to the other die pair that displayed the Close Wreath reverse design. With only five examples believed extant, the 1849-C Open Wreath is the "King of Gold Dollars" and one of the rarest issues in all of U.S. numismatics.Constituting the majority of the 11,634-piece mintage for the 1849-C, the Close Wreath is the only readily collectible Charlotte Mint gold dollar from that year. It is popular due to its first year status, although it is scarcer than generally realized. Rarer in Mint State than the 1851-C, 1852-C and 1853-C, the 1849-C Close Wreath has an extant population of no more than 40 or 50 pieces at that level of preservation. This is one of the finest examples that we have handled in recent memory, and is a premium quality coin for both the issue and assigned grade. Worthy of the strongest bid.