1881 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. MS-63+ (PCGS). CAC.，A highly significant offering for the astute collector of classic U.S. Mint gold coinage, this is one of the finest known survivors of the rare and often overlooked 1881 quarter eagle. Semi-prooflike in finish, both sides also possess lovely rose-gold patina. The strike is overall full and wanes minimally only over the eagles right leg on the reverse. Wispy handling marks do little more than define the grade, an extremely minor graze in the reverse field at the top of the eagles head mentioned solely as an identifying feature. A lovely piece that would do justice to even the finest gold cabinet.<p>One of the unsung rarities among Liberty Head gold coinage, the circulation strike 1881 quarter eagle was produced to the extent of just 640 pieces. Survivors are understandably elusive in all grades, the experts at <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em> estimating that fewer than 100 coins are known. Most examples are lightly circulated after seeing some commercial use; Mint State survivors are of the utmost rarity. This is one of the finest examples known, and it has been off the market since 1950. As for other contenders for finest known ranking, there are only two possibilities: <p>1 - <strong>NGC MS-64.</strong> Ex Superior May-June, 1993, lot 1407; Heritages Early Spring ANA Sale of March 1995, lot 5862; Heritages Anaheim ANA Sale of August 1995, lot 7663. <p>2 - <strong>PCGS MS-65.</strong> This coin is mentioned in the 2008 reference <em>Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins: 1795-1933</em> by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth as having been sold by David W. Akers at the 1993 Baltimore ANA Convention, although it no longer appears on the <em>PCGS Population Report, </em>and it would be highly unusual for such a piece to be either downgraded or removed from such a holder suggesting that his might be an erroneous listing.<p>A newcomer to the modern numismatic market, and with an impressive provenance, the present example certainly numbers among the highlights of the extensive gold offerings in this sale and was a key discovery among the coins in the Alexander Collection.<br />，PCGS# 7833. NGC ID: 25L5.，，From the Alexander Collection. Acquired in B. Max Mehls sale of the Jerome Kern Collection in his Golden Jubilee Sale of June 1950, lot 70, where it was cataloged as Proof.
