| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 300 |
| 60 or Better | 40 |
| 65 or Better | |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-6.4 |
| 60 or Better | R-8.7 |
| 65 or Better | R-10.1 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 97 / 147 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 98 / 147 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 147 |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 97 / 147 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 98 / 147 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 147 |
#1 PCGS MS64
Heritage, October 9, 2014, Lot 4959 - $7,050; DLRC, June 19, 2022, Lot 707793 - $13,250; Legend, October 20, 2022, Lot 154 - Passed; Heritage, January 13, 2023, Lot 4065 - $11,100. Diagonal rolling marks across face. Tick in the field to the left of 1. Weakness on the eagle’s right leg. Crack from rim through I of UNITED to the eagle’s leg. |
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#1 PCGS MS64
Heritage, July 10, 2009, Lot 1307 - $6,957.50. Shattered reverse die. |
| #1 PCGS MS64 |
#1 PCGS MS64
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#1 PCGS MS64
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| #1 PCGS MS64 |
| #1 PCGS MS64 |
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#1 Est. MS64
Goldberg Auctioneers, June 2002, Lot 3493 - $8,913 - "The Charleston Collection," American Numismatic Rarities, September 2005, Lot 1093 - $9,545; Heritage, December 2005, Lot 1111 - Passed; Heritage, February 2006. Lot 2614 - Passed; Heritage April 2006, Lot 1610 - $14,380.75; Heritage, Jamiary 2014, Lot 6433 - $18,800; Heritage, October 2014. Lot 4960 - $14,100. Obverse die crack from star 3 to 6. Ticks to the right of Liberty’s bun. Ticks to the left of star 13. Reverse die crack from 1 o'clock to eagle’s neck and from 7 o’clock to eagle’s talon. |
#9 PCGS MS63+
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#9 PCGS MS63+
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Three Mints produced Liberty Head Quarter Eagles in 1845: Philadelphia led with 91,051 coins, followed by the Charlotte Mint with a strong mintage of 19,460, and the New Orleans Mint issued a sparse total of 4,000 pieces.
The Philadelphia Mint’s production is technically notable because the facility kept several reverse dies in service past their expected lifespan, resulting in numerous coins exhibiting conspicuous die cracks. For example, one spectacularly shattered die shows four cracks emanating from the rim and meeting precisely at the arrow fletching. Given that multiple die crack configurations exist for the 1845-P issue, their presence is frequently mentioned by auction catalogers.
Although the mintage for this issue was sizable for the period, it is not a type coin. While the 1845 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle is readily available in Mint State, it becomes rare in grades of MS64 and above.
David Akers, in his landmark work, United States Gold Coins: An Analysis of Auction Records. Volume II: Quarter Eagles, 1796-1929 (published 1975), called the 1845 "one of the most common dates of the 1840s, and certainly the most common Philadelphia Mint quarter eagle of the decade in choice condition."
Akers' assessment remains accurate today. The 1843-O Liberty Head Quarter Eagle (#7731) runs a close second in MS63 or better, despite being a much more common date across all grades. Notably, the known population of 1845-P coins graded MS63 or finer has remained remarkably stable for nearly 20 years.
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