1838-C Classic Head Half Eagle. McCloskey-1. EF-40 (PCGS).，This warmly patinated Charlotte Mint half eagle exhibits glints of reddish-rose iridescence on otherwise olive-gold surfaces. Well defined for a lightly circulated Southern gold coin, the detail to the focal features in and around the centers is actually sharp to full. This is clearly an above-average survivor of the historic and elusive 1838-C $5. Wispy hairlines and a somewhat glossy texture are noted solely for accuracy, .<p>The Charlotte Mint commenced operations in December of 1837, a facility established to service the Southern Appalachian Gold Rush. The earliest reports of gold discoveries in North Carolina date to 1799, and by the late 1820s/early 1830s approximately half a million dollars in this precious metal were being shipped to the Philadelphia Mint (mainly by sea out of Augusta, Georgia). The total amount of deposits from southern gold at the Philadelphia Mint from 1824 to 1837 amounted to $5.1 million, an impressive sum especially when we consider that a not inconsiderable amount of gold from this region was being handled by the private firm of the Bechtler family. The Charlotte and Dahlonega mints were set up to preclude southern gold from having to make the long and hazardous journey to the Philadelphia Mint. Throughout the nearly 24 years that the Charlotte Mint operated as a coinage facility, 89% of its gold deposits came from North Carolina mines, with smaller percentages from South Carolina and California sources. The mint ceased operations in 1861 shortly after its seizure by Confederate forces at the onset of the Civil War.<p>The 1838-C is the first half eagle delivered by the Charlotte Mint, and as the only one of the Classic Head design type it is extremely popular in numismatic circles. Survivors from a mintage of 17,179 pieces are scarce in an absolute sense and rare in grades above VF.，PCGS# 8177. NGC ID: 25S5.，，
