1849-C

Charlotte struck 64,823 half eagles in 1849, a solid output that placed the date among the more available Charlotte issues of the decade. California gold dominated the headlines that year following President Polk's December 1848 message to Congress confirming the Sutter's Mill discovery, but Charlotte's bullion supply was unaffected. Federal channels routed California metal to Philadelphia and the new West Coast facilities, not back to the southern branches. Charlotte continued working what it had always worked: placer gold and vein-mine output from the southern Appalachian fields. The 64,823 figure puts 1849-C in close company with 1848-C at 64,472 and 1850-C at 63,591, all above Charlotte rarities like 1842-C Small Date and 1846-C. The mintmark sits on the reverse, a small C just below the eagle.

Specifications follow the standard Coronet half eagle: 8.359 grams, 21.6 millimeters in diameter, .900 fine gold over a copper alloy, reeded edge. Counterfeit risk centers on the mintmark. The most common deception is an added C punched onto a genuine Philadelphia 1849 half eagle, so examine the area below the eagle under at least 10x magnification. Look for a clean tool-free join with the field, surface flow consistent with the surrounding metal, and a font matching the small serifed C used on other Charlotte half eagles of the period. Strike weakness is the other pitfall worth knowing. Charlotte coins of this era routinely show soft stars, flat detail in the hair above Liberty's ear, and weakness on the eagle's left wing. That softness is a striking artifact, not wear, and a properly graded coin should not be marked down for it.

The 1849-C sits in the obtainable tier of Charlotte half eagles per Doug Winter, behind the appearance-rarity keys 1842-C Small Date, 1844-C, 1846-C, and 1854-C. Estimated survival lands in the 300 to 450 range across all grades. Circulated VF and EF examples surface at Heritage and Stack's Bowers regularly in the low to mid four figures, AU pieces climb into the high four to low five figures depending on eye appeal, and Mint State coins are scarce, with most certified examples clustering between MS-60 and MS-62. Anything finer is a true rarity. New Charlotte collectors typically reach this date after starting on more available issues. Read the full Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.