1862 $10.00 NGC MS60

In the "new" coin market of 2012, Liberty Head eagles have become among the most popular series with rarity-loving collectors. And formerly overlooked dates like the 1862 have grown greatly in stature. The 1862 eagle is scarce in any grade with probably less than 100 known from the original mintage of 10,960. When available, it tends to come in the EF40 to AU50 range and it is extremely scarce in AU55 to AU58. In Uncirculated, this date is a major rarity with just three known to me: the present example, a second NGC MS60 (ex Heritage 2003 ANA: 10437) and an NGC MS63 from the S.S. Republic that is off the market in the finest collection of Liberty Head eagles. The example I offer here is nearly fully lustrous and unquestionably free of wear with rich rose and yellow-gold color. As is befitting an MS60 Civil War gold coin, this piece does have some dense marks but these are mostly confined to the fields and they are shallow and well-dispersed. This is an extremely important coin for the collector of Liberty Head eagles or rare, high grade Civil War coinage and it represents what may be the only chance you have in many, many years to obtain an Uncirculated example of an 1862 eagle.

1881-CC $10.00 NGC MS61

Every Carson City eagle struck prior to 1890-CC is difficult to find in Uncirculated but the 1881-CC is the only issue that is sometimes seen in Uncirculated, albeit in grades from MS60 to MS62. This fresh-from-Europe example has superb deep natural color with even medium reddish-orange hues on the obverse; the reverse is similar but deeper with some natural grease stains around MERI in AMERICA. The underlying luster is frosty in texture with only a few scuffs in the upper left obverse field keeping this piece from strong consideration at the MS62 level. Only four examples have appeared at auction in this grade in the last four years and I have only handled a few examples finer than MS61 including the Eliasberg MS64 coin that is the single finest known. Of the few dozen 1881-CC eagles known in Uncirculated, few have the eye appeal that this coin and only a handful show this degree of originality. A great coin for the date collector or the type collector looking for a single better date Liberty Head eagle for his set dated prior to 1890.

1839 Head of '38 $10.00 NGC EF45 CAC

After a 34 year hiatus, the ten dollar gold denomination was resurrected in 1838. In the first two years of the new Liberty Head design, the portrait featured the first incarnation of the portrait with the coronet tip close to the outer edge of the sixth star and a noticeably curved edge to the neck of Liberty. This designed changed in the later part of 1839 but not before 25,801 examples of this variety were coined. The 1839 Head of 1838 is only a marginally scarce coin until you gert to the AU55/58 range but it is in constant demand as a type issue. It remains very affordable in the lower to middle grades and this Choice EF example, with a CAC sticker, has pleasing deep, even green-gold color with some contrasting reddish hues at the reverse periphery. This is exactly what an EF45 should look like with minimal luster but good details and very choice surfaces without a single detracting mark of note. In the recent Stack's Bowers sale, a more lustrous but less original example graded AU53 by PCGS brought double the amount of this coin, making the present example a great value for the collector who likes gold coins from the highly interesting era (1834-1846) that saw so much experimentation with types and designs of U.S. issues.

1890 $10.00 NGC PR64 UCAM CAC

A total of 63 Proofs were struck; my best estimate is that around 25 to 30 are known today with most in the PR63 to PR65 range. This piece has the eye appeal and general appearance of a Gem with just a few light hairlines keeping it out of the PR65 mark and a $45,000-50,000 price tag. It is extremely challenging to find accurately graded PR64 gold coins from this era and the majority of nice 64's tend to find their way, sooner or later, into PR65 holders. After I purchased this coin, I gave it some thought and came up with this conclusion: for a touch under $30,000, it would be very hard to imagine a better value in the arena of Proof gold. You can find smaller denomination Proof gold coins that are rarer than this (I have sold some amazing Proof gold dollars and quarter eagles in the last sixty days) but larger denomination Proof gold is very expensive and extremely hard to locate right now. A gorgeous coin and an item that I think makes a lot of sense to salt away as a medium to long term investment.

Ex Heritage 2012 FUN: 4989 where it sold for $29,900.

1801 $10.00 PCGS AU55 CAC

BD-2, Rarity-2. I recently sold an NGC AU58/CAC example of this date and I like the present example more because it is so totally original. The surfaces have a lovely deep and vivid russet-gold color with subtle reddish undertones that add great appeal. The strike is sharp for the issue with full details at the borders and centers and there are no adjustment marks or other mint-made planchet issues. While actually fairly common in AU, most AU55 and AU58 1801 eagles have been harshly cleaned or processed at one time and have mediocre eye appeal as a result. This piece, in spite of a few old hairlines on the surfaces, is as choice as any AU example of this type that you are likely to find. For a number of years of years, I stopped buying Heraldic Eagle tens as I thought they were overvalued relative to the rarity. But I am now buying these coins again as I find them easy to sell due to their popularity. Let's face it: it is hard not to be pretty mesmerized by a 200+ year old coin of this size and beauty, not to mention one with as much historic significance. A fantastic addition to an early gold set.

1854-O Large Date $10.00 NGC MS63

Large Date Variety. As most collectors know, any No Motto eagle in MS63 or higher is rare. New Orleans eagles in this grade range are all but unheard of. Only two dates are sometimes seen in this grade, the 1847-O and 1851-O and even those are very rare. But to find an 1854-O Large Date in MS63 is almost unheard of. There are approximately seven to nine known in Uncirculated but this includes some pieces from the S.S. Republic and at least a few in MS60 to MS61 that I think are marginally "new." There are exactly two known in MS63 and none finer. PCGS has graded a single example which I sold to a California collector in 2005; it is originally ex Heritage 1/99: 8181 and it sold for $31,050 back then. This second example is also a coin that I handled before and it is listed as coin #2 in the Condition Census in my 2006 book "Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint, 1838-1906." It has been off the market for at least a decade and I was able to reacquire it at the recent Long Beach show. It has an amazing naked-eye "look" with glittering semi-prooflike surfaces that are free of chatter or friction and which show rich yellow-gold color. There are a few light lines on the surfaces and a touch of mint-made planchet roughness on the reverse but this piece has an amazing appearance that is unlike nearly any other example of this variety that I can recall seeing. Usually, the texture of this date is frosty and it has a sunken, slightly concave appearance. This piece has a great strike and its "look" suggests that it is one of the very first struck of this variety. Coins of this quality and rarity are seldom available these days and when they are they typically appear at auction where they tend to bring crazy prices. If you are a serious collector of New Orleans gold, Liberty Head eagles or you just want something special to put away, give this coin some serious consideration.

1893-O $10.00 PCGS MS63

I have never seen a better example of this date than this coin and it is closer to grading MS64 than any 1893-O eagle I know of. Every MS63 1893-O eagle that I am aware of has tons of abrasions in the fields; to the point that the luster can be impaired. This piece looks more like a 1903-O than an 1893-O with relatively few marks of note, rich, frosty luster and lovely light rose, green and orange-gold color. If this coin had graded MS64, it would have been a "pop 1" example with a potential value of well into five figures. I don't often get excited about Condition Rarities but this is a great coin that deserves to be in the finest collection of New Orleans eagles.

1857-O $10.00 NGC AU55

With a mintage of just 5,000 coins, the 1857-O is among the rarest No Motto eagles. It is an issue that remains unknown in Uncirculated and there are only three to five that I am aware of which can properly be graded as AU58. For most advanced collectors of No Motto eagles, AU55 is the finest grade in which this date is realistically available and choice, original examples are offered about once every two to four years. The present piece is fresh to the market and it is characterized by lovely intense reddish gold color at the borders which frames rich yellow-gold centers. There is some residual prooflike luster seen in the protected areas and the surfaces lack the dense abrasions that characterize this issue. The last APR for an AU55 1857-O eagle is Heritage 3/10: 2438, graded by NGC, which went for $6,900 but which was not as nice as this coin. Before this, there were only two other slabbed AU55's sold since 2000. Obviously, this is a rare coin and it is an important opportunity to fill a hole that exists in most New Orleans eagle sets.

1861 $10.00 NGC MS61

While common in all circulated grades, the 1861 is scarce in Uncirculated and very rare in MS62 and above. It is the only Civil War eagle that is even remotely a possibility for the collector to obtain in Uncirculated and I believe that the population figures for MS60 to MS62 coins are way inflated, giving a false sense of availability for an issue that is actually quite rare and seldom offered for sale at auction or private treaty. This example is choice and fresh with excellent frosty luster below natural light orange-gold color. There are enough small, scattered marks on the obverse and reverse to limit the grade but this is a truly attractive example with good eye appeal.