1843-O $2.50 Large Date (Regular Strike)

Doug Winter: The 1843-O is the second and rarest of the two varieties of quarter eagles struck this year at the New Orleans mint. It is the second rarest issue in this series but it remains relatively unknown outside the specialist community. It is often lumped together with the 1843-O Small Date which causes non-specialists to understate its rarity.

The 1843-O Large Date is the second rarest New Orleans quarter in terms of its overall rarity and the third rarest in high grades. A greater percentage of survivors are known in high grades than for other issues of this era but this is still a rare coin in About Uncirculated and a very rare one in Uncirculated.

STRIKE: Every piece I have seen shows weakness on the curls around the face of Liberty and on the curl below the hair. The letters on the coronet appear flat and somewhat thick. The stars are very sharp and often have full radial lines. The eagle’s right leg is always weak but the rest of the reverse shows good overall detail. The rims are very wide and there is often a raised wire edge on much of the obverse border.

SURFACES: The surfaces are nearly always very heavily abraded with deep marks in the fields. A number show small mint-made fissures in the planchet. Many have rim bumps that are detracting. It is extremely hard to locate an 1843-O Large Date quarter eagle that has even average quality surfaces.

LUSTER: This issue has good luster. The texture is frosty with a slightly granular appearance. The typical specimen shows enough wear that not much of the original luster is intact.

COLORATION: There are some higher grade uncleaned 1843-O Large Date quarter eagles that have outstanding color. These show rich rose-gold or orange-green hues. This color is often deeper in hue at the borders than the centers and this creates a sort of two-tone appearance that is very attractive. Many of the circulated pieces have been cleaned or dipped at one time and no longer show original color.

EYE APPEAL: This issue is generally seen with average to slightly below average quality eye appeal. Most show weakness of strike and have numerous marks in the fields. There are a small number that have nice color and frosty luster and these should command a premium.

DIE CHARACTERISTICS: The portrait often shows strong die rust and this is contrasted by the satiny texture of the fields, giving the obverse a two-tone appearance. The rims are broader than on any other New Orleans quarter eagle. The mintmark always shows some degree of repunching.

MAJOR VARIETIES: A single variety is known.

Variety One: The date is large and spaced to the left. The 1 is close to the truncation and touches a denticle at its left base. The 4 is plain while the 3 is positioned lower and is clear of the truncation and the denticles. The mintmark is large and heavily impressed. It is placed high and it is touched by the arrow feathers at its top and right side. All known examples show repunching at the base of the mintmark. There are a number of die states known:

State I: Perfect reverse. Very scarce.

State II: A noticeable cud-like break has formed over the F in OF and it extends towards the tip of the eagle’s right wing.

State III: Die rust can be seen to the right of the D and there is another reverse crack from the bottom of the lowest arrowhead to the right side of the second A in AMERICA and then into a denticle.

David Akers (1975/88): Much more rare than the Small Date variety in all grades and particularly so in choice condition. In 226 catalogues, there were only six appearances of the 1843-O Large Date in AU or Unc. compared to 32 appearances of the Small Date in the same grades. The standard pricing guides list the 1843-O Large Date only about 50% higher than the 1843-O Small Date in uncirculated condition. In my opinion, this small difference does not begin to accurately reflect the substantial difference in the rarity of the two varieties.

Gordon Wrubel: Quickfinder notes: The Large Date has a PLAIN crossbar on the 4. Large thick date punches were used. The 1 of the date almost touches the truncation and dentils. The Small Date has a crosslet 4 and the 1 is well clear of the truncation and dentils.