1861 $20.00 PCGS AU53

This coin has the naked-eye appearance of an AU58/MS61 but it has been net graded by PCGS on account of some light obverse hairlines. It is extremely clean with almost no abrasions and the naked-eye appearance is exceptional. The most affordable Civil War double eagle and a good Type One type coin.

1859-S $20.00 NGC EF45

Medium to deep green gold with contrasting splashes of reddish color on much of the obverse and reverse give this nice example good overall eye appeal. The 1859-S is a date that is not often seen with natural color.

1858-S $20.00 PCGS AU50

Dark and dirty with a decidedly "Euro" look that is almost two-tone in appearance on account of the contrast between the fields and the high spots. There is a good deal of luster below the deep orange-gold color. Some marks in the left obverse field limit the grade. Not an easy date to find in grades higher than this and an issue seldom found with original color.

1852 $20.00 NGC EF45

This lustrous example shows attractive deep sunset-gold splashes with some reddish encrustation at 9:00 on the obverse and at 10:00 on the reverse. For the grade, this piece shows a good degree of luster. A nice, affordable early date Type One.

1903-O $10.00 PCGS MS63

Only a handful of New Orleans eagles exist in MS63 and higher grades and the 1903-O is one of the most affordable. I used to have to pay over $3,000 to purchase a nice quality PCGS MS63 but premiums for this date have dropped in recent years and I think it is a great value in the mid-2000's. This piece has especially good color with deep, rich natural orange-gold hues atop moderately abraded, very frosty surfaces. A small spot on the reverse, located below the right talon, shows that this piece hasn't been dipped as have so many higher grade 1903-O eagles.

1881-O $10.00 PCGS EF45

This overlooked issue still doesn't command the price level it should. Only 8,350 were struck and just a few hundred are known, mostly in the EF40 to AU50 range. This example shows decent surfaces and color with a typical slightly soft strike. Along with the 1880-O and 1882-O, I regard this date as one of the best values in the entire New Orleans eagle series.

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.

1881-CC $10.00 PCGS MS62 CAC

If you collect high grade, Condition Census quality Carson City eagles, you know that the 1881-CC is essentially unavailable above MS62. I know of at least six different PCGS MS62's (and have handled four of these) of which all are placed in tightly-held collections. This example, which comes from the exact same source as a very similar quality PCGS MS62 I sold at the FUN show to a CC specialist, is bright and very lustrous with nice medium rose shadings over light golden surfaces. The strike is very sharp and there are just a few minor scuffs seen here and there in the obverse fields; the reverse grades MS63 on its own. The last PCGS MS62 with a CAC sticker to sell at auction was Heritage 6/11: 5208 which brought $13,800. Back in June 2004, a PCGS MS62 sold for $16,100 in the Goldberg auction. With the CC gold market poised to be reignited by the upcoming sale of the Battle Born collection, I would suggest that serious collectors take advantage of opportunities such as this 1881-CC eagle while they are still available.

1859-O $10.00 PCGS AU53 CAC

Old Green Holder. By today's standards I think this coin is closer to grading AU55 and it is clearly among the finest known of this rare date. The 1859-O is the second rarest eagle from this mint, trailing the low mintage 1883-O. Only 2,300 were struck and it is estimated that four to five dozen are known today with most in the VF35 to EF45 range. In AU, the 1859-O eagle is very rare, especially with natural color and surfaces. This piece may possibly trace its origin to a European source as it has the sort of dirty two-tone appearance that is seen on some American gold coins of this era that were sent overseas. The obverse and reverse show deep greenish and orange-gold color with a good deal of luster below; the high spots are a bit lighter in hue. The strike is about average for the date with some weakness at the radial lines in the stars but the centers are nicely detailed. No serious marks can be seen with the naked eye and the eye appeal is really exceptional for an issue that is seldom seen with a decent appearance; let alone a good one. The last APR for an 1859-O eagle in AU53 is Goldberg 9/10: 2977 at $21,850 but this coin was bright and low end in my opinion. Since 2000. there have been just two other AU53's sold with the best of these being Heritage 6/05: 7908 (an NGC AU53) which brought $28,750. For many years, the 1859-O was the highest priced New Orleans eagle but it has been overtaken by the 1883-O. An 1883-O in AU53 to AU55 with great eye appeal could bring $75,000-85,000 in today's market which sort of leads me to think that choice examples of the 1859-O are currently undervalued. This statement makes even more sense considering how popular Liberty Head eagles have become in the last two or three years. An important coin!