1895-O $10.00 PCGS MS63

With very few exceptions, the New Orleans eagles from the 1890's are all but unknown in grades above MS63. The 1895-O is an interesting issue as it is common in MS60 to MS61 and only marginally scarce in MS62. But it is rare in properly graded MS63 and it remains unknown in grades above this. Unlike the 1897-O and 1899-O, it doesn't appear that any small groups were spared being shipped loose to Europe in bags and, as a result, nearly every known Uncirculated 1895-O eagle has a huge number of abrasions. The present example has remarkably clean surfaces for the issue with just a few minor areas of marks but certainly nothing like the dense marks typical to the issue. The luster is frosty and shimmering while it is overlaid with subtle pleasing light rose and orange-gold hues. The last PCGS MS63 example of this date to sell at auction was Heritage 10/11: 5052 which brought $7,188. That coin, which was approved by CAC, was very nice but it had a few more obverse marks than the present example. I am not typically a fan of condition rarity, but I feel that this is among the top four or five 1895-O eagles that I have seen and it seems like good value to me.