1859-C Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. Die State II. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC. A handsome and originally preserved half eagle with subtle pinkish-rose highlights on dominant deep honey-gold color. The strike is characteristic of this challenging issue, with the obverse generally sharp but the reverse quite soft overall with a somewhat "fuzzy" appearance to the eagle. Writing in the 2008 edition of his reference on Charlotte Mint gold coinage, Doug Winter suggests that the reverse die for this issue may have received only one (as opposed to two) impressions from the hub, leaving the detail incomplete. At the threshold of Uncirculated preservation both sides retain much of the mint luster, which is typically granular in texture. There are no marks of consequence, and the in hand appearance is impressively smooth. From a mintage of 31,847 half eagles produced in Charlotte in 1859, most survivors grade no finer than EF-45, confirming the desirability of this bold Choice AU example verified by CAC. From the Fairmont Collection-Hendricks Set.
