A US auctioneer is limbering up for its February Long Beach coin auction at which a series of 19th century rarities are set to be sold.
The star lot is likely to be an 1808 Quarter Eagle designed by Johann Matthaus Reich. Reich was asked in 1807 to re-design America's coins, and this was the second coin he re-designed.
This example is in Mint State 63 condition (according to the NGC), and is one of the most difficult coins to get hold of for anyone attempting to gather together a complete gold coins of America collection. An estimate is not apparent, but previous examples have beaten the $250,000 mark.
 The highly desirable 1808 gold quarter eagle coin |
For some reason every 1808 quarter eagle has the same irregularity on its rim. Coin expert Breen discussed this in his 1988 book:
"All survivors ... show excessively narrow borders, usually incomplete. This must have been seen as a design flaw conducive to rapid wear on both sides, as on the half-dollar reverses of 1836-37 and the 1861 S Paquet double eagles.
"Predictably, survivors are in lower grades than those of earlier dates lacking this problem."
The company will be holding the auction in Long Beach, California on February 2-5.
Collectors have always been keen to chase rare gold coins. We're currently proud to be offering one of the rarest British coins of the 17th century. This is the Gold Five Guineas coin - the largest denomination British Coin created before decimalisation.
Made with 22 carat gold, it is one of just 62 examples known to exist.
