1843-C Half Eagle (1843-C $5) NGC MS61. The devices on this Charlotte 1843-C half eagle drip with gleaming luster. This 1843-C Half Eagle is an example of Christian Gobrechts Coronet Design, No Motto, which was minted from 1839 to 1866. The Coronet design replaced the Reich-Kneass Classic Heads. Liberty faces left wearing a coronet instead of a cap. Her hair is tied back in a bun with two large curls coming down her neck and side.

In July of 1838, the Secretary of the Treasury instructed Mint Director Robert Patterson to resume coinage of the eagle. It had been discontinued by order of President Thomas Jefferson in 1804 to prevent bullion melting. When a new law changed the weight and fineness, Christian Gobrecht was told to prepare new dies. He used a head of Venus from a Benjamin West painting, slightly altering the hair style. A revised version of John Reichs eagle was used for the reverse. While the design type remained in use until 1908, the motto In God We Trust was added in 1866. Thus there are two types of Coronet Eagles, type I with no motto and type II with motto.

The original mintage of this coin is 44,277; however, in mint state the coin is scarce. The NGC population report shows 7 in MS61 with just 5 better. The PCGS report shows only 11 coins in MS 60 and above.