Tag: New Orleans Mint

Elusive 1895-O Morgan Dollar NGC MS61

Sirhc

Silver dollar production declined drastically at all U.S. mints in the mid-1890s. Following the Panic of 1893 and the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act there was no commercial demand for the coins and no official mandate to produce them. Accordingly, the New Orleans Mint struck a small mintage of just 450,000 Morgan dollars that year. Unfortunately, the issue was not well-produced and many examples seen have weak strike characteristics and subdued mint luster. Most of the mintage circulated widely near the time of issue and the 1895-O was not well-represented in the Treasury releases of the 1960s. As a result, the 1895-O can be located in circulated grades without much difficulty today, but it is the third rarest Morgan dollar in Mint State grades behind the elusive 1892-S and the famous key 1893-S. The one offered here is lightly toned, lustrous and closer in appearance to our non-slab images than our slab-shot.

 The NGC population is 60 with 54 graded higher.  

Listed at $20,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $16,985 (ACH, Bank Wire, add 3.5% for Major CC & PayPal)

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Nearly Mint State $5 Indian Rarity – 1909-O Indian Half Eagle NGC AU58

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The New Orleans Mint was the only Southern branch to resume coinage operations following the Civil War. Interestingly, its survival as a minting facility can be attributed in part to the same legislation that brought about the coinage of millions of unneeded standard silver dollars. The Bland-Allison Act of February 1878, called for the Treasury Department to purchase monthly 2 to 4 million dollars worth of silver bullion, and to have it coined into new silver dollars which would largely be stored in government vaults. The sudden demand in coinage operations mandated by the law virtually necessitated the reopening of the branch mint in New Orleans, which resumed coinage operations in 1879.

However, the New Orleans Mint’s days were nonetheless numbered. In 1904, coinage of Morgan silver dollars was discontinued and construction was begun on a modern, high-capacity branch mint in Denver, Colorado. Silver and gold coin production at the Louisiana branch dwindled after 1906, when the Denver Mint opened, and by 1909, the need for continued operations at the Southern facility was virtually dissolved. On April 1, of that year, coinage was suspended, and in 1911, the dismantling of the outdated machinery was begun.

Coinage in the first three months of 1909, prior to operations suspension, consisted primarily of dimes, with more than 2.2 million pieces struck; quarter production amounted to only 712,000 coins, and halves to just 945,400 pieces. The only gold coinage at New Orleans in 1909, consisted of a paltry 34,200 half eagles. Interestingly, this was the first issue of this denomination struck there since 1894.

In addition to its popularity as the only O-mint issue of Pratt’s Indian Head type, the 1909-O half eagle is also a significant key date within the series. The 1929 is rarer in the absolute sense, but in Mint State, the 1909-O is the less often seen coin.

Offered at $16,700 delivered

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Mint $20 Rarity – 1861-O Liberty Double Eagle NGC AU55

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The New Orleans Mint struck a small mintage of 17,741 Liberty double eagles in the early part of 1861, on the brink of the Civil War. Noted gold specialist Doug Winter reports only 5,000 of those coins were struck before January 26, while the New Orleans Mint was still operating under federal authority. Another 9,750 examples were produced between January 26 and March 31, while the State of Louisiana was the governing authority. A final production of 2,991 specimens was achieved under the auspices of the Confederacy, before the Mint shut its doors on April 30. Although three obverse dies were sent to the New Orleans Mint, it seems all the coins were struck from the same die pair. Most of the coins show some weakness in the numerals of the date, toward the bottom. About one fifth of the surviving population features a strong date, with a die crack from the rim near star 2 to Liberty’s chin. Attempts have been made to determine which coins were struck first and which were produced by the Confederacy, but there is no general agreement at this time.
Collecting double eagles was not popular in the 19th century, as the cost of assembling a collection of twenty dollar gold coins was prohibitive for most numismatists of the period. Little attention was paid to branch mint issues and the few wealthy collectors who did assemble date runs of large denomination gold coins usually preferred to order proof from the Philadelphia Mint to update their collection. As a result, few high-quality examples of the 1861-O were saved for numismatic purposes and no more than 150-175 specimens survive today in all grades. Most examples seen are in the XF40 to AU50 grade range. Winter notes, “Properly graded AU55 and AU58 coins are very rare, and I haven’t seen more than 3-5 with claims to an Uncirculated grade.”

In hand, this example looks far better than it shows in our images and it exhibits considerable luster and flash. The NGC population is 15 (one of which is designated “Star”) with 22 graded higher.

Listed at $72,000 in the CDN CPG and $75,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $69,900 Delivered

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Very Rare 1847-O Liberty Quarter Eagle PCGS MS63

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 In 1847 the New Orleans Mint was less than a decade old, at least in terms of coinage manufacture — construction began in 1835 and was completed in 1839 — and the facility set numerous records in the year. The eagle coinage for 1847 was the single largest O-mint production, coming in at 571,000 pieces, and even today examples are readily available through the AU level.
The quarter eagle mintage was also generous, at 124,000 pieces, but surviving examples are scarce in AU condition and legitimately rare in Unc. The PCGS population is only 3 with 3 graded higher.

Listed at $21,000 in the CDN CPG and $22,500 in the PCGS price guide.

Offered at $21,900

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Sparkling 1852-O Liberty Double Eagle NGC AU58

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The 1852-O Liberty double eagle claims a substantial mintage of 190,000 pieces, but the issue circulated heavily in the regional economy at the time of issue and few examples were saved by contemporary collectors. As a result, the 1852-O is readily available in lower circulated grades, but it becomes very scarce at the AU58 level, and Mint State coins are rare. The PCGS population is 97 with 28 graded higher. This offering exhibits strong luster, that sparkles under light and contributes to this coin’s excellent eye-appeal.

Listed at $15,800 in the CDN CPG and $16,000 the NGC price guide.

Offered at $14,300 delivered.
We do business the old fashioned way, we speak with you. Give us a call for price indications and to lock trades.(800) 257.3253
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A Rare 55 (O) in 55 – 1855-O Liberty Double Eagle NGC AU55

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This issue is one of the rarest New Orleans twenties. After the first four emissions of double eagles from the New Orleans Mint (in 1850, 1851, 1852, and 1853), there were considerably fewer coins made in 1854, producing a major rarity in the Liberty double eagle series. Only 70 to 80 pieces are believed to be extant today in all grades, with most falling in the Very Fine to Extremely Fine level of preservation (Douglas Winter,  Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint, 1839–1909). Just a handful of Uncirculated survivors have been certified. The NGC population is 12 with 10 graded higher. In hand, this particular example is lighter in color, as well as considerably more lustrous and eye-appealing than seen in our images.

Listed at $74,400 in the CDN CPG and $72,500 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $67,500

Offered at $67,500 delivered.
We do business the old fashioned way, we speak with you. Give us a call for price indications and to lock trades.(800) 257.3253
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1895-O Barber Half Dollar NGC MS67

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One of Only Two

With a mintage of more than 1.7 million half dollars, the 1895-O is available in a wide range of grades up to MS63 or even MS64. However, Gem or finer examples of this issue are important condition rarities and the top- grade coins rarely get credit for their importance to collectors. NGC has graded only 12 pieces MS65 or higher, including this and one MS67 Star-designated example, which are tied for the highest.

Offered at $24,750 delivered

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1895-O Morgan Dollar PCGS MS62+

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This Rare Morgan is a Definite “Plus”

There are a great number of 1895-O dollars available in the range of Very Fine to low AU, but in Mint State the population thins out by an order of magnitude, with most of those coins in the lower Mint State grades of MS60 to MS62. In MS63 the 1895-O is rarity of great achievement to acquire. In his Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars, Q. David Bowers writes: “The 1895-O emerged as the single circulation-strike variety that is not known to have been a part of any Treasury releases via bags. … I have heard suggestions that from several dozen to a couple hundred Mint State coins came out of the Treasury Building in the early 1950s, but how they would grade today is anybody’s guess. Uncirculated coins of years ago are often classified as AU today. I have found no account or even a rumor of any being a part of the 1962 through 1964 Treasury release.” The one offered here is considerably more lustrous than seen in our images.

Offered at $28,125 delivered

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1859-O Liberty Double Eagle NGC XF45

Sirhc

A Rare O-mint $20 Lib

The 1859-O is a rare New Orleans double eagle with a small 9,100-coin mintage. Perhaps only approximately 100 pieces are known in all grades, primarily distributed throughout the various XF and AU levels. Only two Mint State pieces are documented, both heavily bag-marked. The 1859-O shares its rarity with most other O-Mint twenties leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. After the San Francisco Mint became operational in 1854, gold deposits in New Orleans declined significantly, and large denomination gold coinage plummeted. Between 1854 and the 1909, when the New Orleans Mint ceased coin production for the final time, fewer than 115,000 double eagles were struck at that facility.

Offered at $33,750 delivered

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1854-O Three Dollar Gold Piece NGC MS61

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Very Rare Unc. O-mint

While 1854-D is a great rarity, more than a thousand 1854-O examples remain from the mintage of 24,000 pieces, typically in XF to AU grades. Mint State representatives are surprisingly rare, given the tendency of the public to set aside new designs and denominations during the introductory year of issue. In hand, this one is more of a yellow-gold than orange-gold color and much more lustrous than seen in our images. The NGC population is just 10 with 7 higher.

Offered at $39,375 delivered

We do business the old fashioned way, we speak with you. Give us a call for price indications and to lock trades.

(800) 257.3253
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Price is based on payment via ACH, Bank Wire Transfer or Personal Check.
Major Credit Cards Accepted, add 3.5%
Offer subject to availability.