The economic stresses and uncertainties of the Civil War resulted in widespread hoarding of all precious metal coinage and the government suspended specie payments in late 1861. These circumstances resulted a drastic reduction of coinage in 1862, and the Philadelphia Mint struck a modest business-strike mintage of only 92,133 double eagles that year. The coins were largely ignored by contemporary collectors and few were saved for numismatic purposes. Unlike some other dates of this period, only a handful of examples have been recovered from shipwreck finds in recent years. Today, the 1862 Liberty double eagle is one of the most elusive issues in the Type One series. The NGC population is 23 with 74 graded higher.
Listed at $18,000 in the CDN CPG and $17,500 (in XF) in the NGC price guide.
The design of the double eagle was modified to include the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the reverse in 1866, initiating the popular Type Two design. The San Francisco Mint struck both Type One and Type Two twenties that year, but all double eagles produced at the Philadelphia Mint were of the new Motto design.
While the business-strike mintage was 698,745 pieces, few high-quality examples were saved by contemporary collectors. Only the wealthiest 19th century collectors could afford to set aside lengthy date runs of twenty-dollar gold coins, and the well-heeled numismatists who did collect double eagles preferred to update their collections by purchasing proof examples from the Mint every year. The coins were seldom seen in circulation, as they could only be purchased from banks and bullion brokers at a premium and the general public had become accustomed to the more convenient paper money during the Civil War years. Much of the 1866 mintage was exported and melted. Some more coins were sent to the Western United States where they circulated heavily in the hard-money economy of that region. By the time numismatic interest in the denomination became widespread in the late 1930s the coins had been circulating for decades, suffering much wear and attrition along the way. The 1866 Liberty double eagle is not difficult to locate in circulated grades today, but Mint State examples are decidedly elusive. Most Uncirculated examples are concentrated in the MS60-MS61 grade range and finer coins are rare. The one offered here is highly lustrous, with attractive color and excellent eye appeal. The PCGS population is only 11 with 2 graded higher.
Listed at $39,600 in the CDN CPG and $35,000 in the PCGS price guide.
Offered at $36,650
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The 1861 Liberty double eagle is one of the most popular type coins among No Motto issues. Prior to the discovery of the S.S. Central America and its hold of thousands of 1857-S and 1856-S double eagles, the 1861 was recognized as the most plentiful Type One issue in high grade. Nonetheless, near-Gem pieces such as this one, are conditionally scarce, and finer examples are rare. It exhibits vibrant luster, attractive color and a radiant cartwheel effect. The PCGS population is 13 with 8 graded higher.
Listed at $44,000 in the CDN CPG and $50,000 in the PCGS price guide.
Offered at $44,400
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A paltry mintage of 3,677 quarter eagles was accomplished by the Charlotte Mint in 1855. That production total is the smallest from the North Carolina facility for any individual date in the series (the 1843-C Small Date coins represent only part of the mintage for 1843). Perhaps no more than 100 1855-C quarter eagles are extant in all grades, though inflated population figures might lead one to believe otherwise. Mint State specimens are very rare and this is one of just five at this grade level with but three higher. When tilted just slightly, this coin displays lighter color and considerably more luster than indicated in our pictures.
Offered at $25,350 delivered
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In the early 1850s, substantial California Gold Rush bullion was shipped via Panama to the Philadelphia Mint for coining. The advent of the San Francisco Mint, and its emergence from growing pains, slowed the flood of West Coast bullion to a trickle by 1859. That year, Philadelphia struck only 43,597 double eagles, down from more than 2,000,000 pieces in 1851 and 1852. The few collectors of large denomination gold selected proofs, and the 1859 is nearly unobtainable in Mint State. Patience is required to locate any example, and when one appears in the marketplace, it is almost always in XF to AU grades. This particular example is noticeably more lustrous and attractive in hand.
Offered at $15,750 delivered
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The 1852-O is a median rarity in the Type One series, ranking 25th out of the 43 issues. The mintage for this date is an appealingly low 190,000 pieces, and survivors are seldom found in Uncirculated condition. The near-mint state grade, such as this coin offers, is often considered the best collector value. The one offered here is more lustrous and attractive in-hand.
Offered at $11,600 delivered
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The discovery of the thousands of Type One twenties in mint condition from the salvage of the S.S. Central America in the late 1980s proved to be a boon for collectors since this first design type was rarely encountered in Uncirculated grades before these pieces entered the market. One characteristic common to all of these salvaged twenties is the extraordinary mint luster. Because the coins lay undisturbed more than two miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean they were unaffected by the abrasive effects of salt water that normally subdues the luster on gold coins found on ship wrecks found in more shallow waters.
Offered at $12,150 delivered
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