1858 $10.00 NGC AU50

Going back a few decades, the 1858 was regarded as one of the rarest Liberty Head eagles. In fact, it was among the more desirable Liberty Head gold issues of any denomination. As the eagle series became more collected and better researched, it was learned that other dates were rarer but the 1858 has, in recent years, sort of unfairly lost some of its mojo. Only 2,521 were struck and of these no more than four or five dozen are known. The present example is among the very few 1858 eagles I have seen that has original color and it is also far less abraded than usual. This coin has even medium to deep green-gold color with some darkening on the highlights which give it almost a sort of "Euro" look. There are scattered abrasions on the surfaces including a cluster in the left obverse but these are far fewer than normal for the date. Both sides have some dirt lodged in the protected areas and there is a clump located above the AT in STATES. There have only been two AU50 examples sold at auction in the last bdecade (both graded by NGC) and they both brought $10,350 in 2005 and 2008, respectively. This example is considerably nicer and the market for this series is much stronger in 2012. A very important coin for the advanced specialist.

1858 $3.00 PCGS AU58

The 1858 is among the rarest Three Dollar gold pieces from the Philadelphia mint but it doesn't get the publicity of other issues such as the 1865 and 1877. Just 2,133 were produced and this is an issue that is almost never seen above AU55. In fact, there have been no AU58's sold at auction since 9/08 and the last PCGS AU58 to cross the auction block was in 6/06. This lightly worn piece is very lustrous but it does show some scattered ticks on the surfaces as is so common with this date. If you can even find an Uncirculated 1858 three dollar, it would cost around double the price of this nice slider.

1858 $1.00 NGC PR66UCAM

The U.S. Mint began selling Proof coins directly to the public in 1858 and this proved to be quite popular. The exact mintage figure for Proof 1858 gold coinage is not recorded but it is thought that the number of dollars struck was somewhere in the range of 30-40. Around half of these are known today and most of the survivors grade in the PR64 to PR65 range and are characterized by planchet problems and lintmarks. The present example is the second finest known 1858 Proof gold dollar that I am aware of, trailing only Stacks 11/09: 1778, graded PR67 Ultra Cameo by NGC, that sold for a rousing $92,000. The present example is superb with stark black and white contrast and lovely natural yellow-gold coloration. The surfaces are fully reflective and lack any marks which might serve as identification. At the recent FUN show I was able to view a PCGS PR66 Cameo example of this date which was a lovely coin but, in my opinion, technically inferior to this piece. It was priced at $52,000. Here is one of the few pre-1860 Proof gold coins that can be purchased in superb gem for under $50,000 and it would make a wonderful addition to an advanced set of proof U.S. gold coins.

1858 $20.00 SS Republic NGC MS62

As a rule I am not a huge fan of shipwreck gold coins but this piece is exceptional, both from the standpoint of appearance and rarity. The surfaces of this piece showe virtually no signs of exposure to seawater and are bright with a great degree of vibrancy. The "meat" on this coin suggests an MS63 grade but there are just a few too many scuffs in the obverse fields. For the sake of identification, there is a small barely noticeable grease stain on the obverse hanging off the lowest curls. This is one of just two MS62 1858 double eagles salvaged from the S.S. Republic; the other, sold as Bowers and Merena 4/05: 2015, brought $21,275 at a time when important high grade shipwreck coins were not as avidly collected as they are today. If you collect shipwreck double eagles or are looking for an important Condition Census example of this conditionally scarcer date, consider adding this impressive 1858 to your holdings.

This is one of just two 1858 double eagles graded MS62 found on the S.S. Republic. Noe were graded higher than this.