SCARCE PCGS AU53 1849-O $10

Winter-1.

The 1849-O ranks as one of the scarcer No Motto eagles from New Orleans. Of the estimated 125-150 which exist in total, fewer than 20 legitimately About Uncirculated coins are known. In Uncirculated, the 1849-O is a major rarity with just three known; none finer than MS61.

Virtually every 1849-O eagle I have seen is scuffy and this one is no exception. Fortunately, these scuffs are shallow and are mostly limited to the fields. Both sides show light green-gold color and the strike is average for the issue with flatness noted on the radial lines in the stars. A small rim nick can be seen near the fifth star on the obverse. The overall eye appeal is clearly better than average for an issue which is exceptionally difficult to locate with original color and choice surfaces.

Since the start of 2013, there are just two auction records for this date in PCGS AU53. The most recent is Stack’s Bowers 11/2020: 8296 which brought $6,000.

It is exceedingly difficult to locate this date any finer than AU53 to AU55 and this nice example should be of interest to the informed New Orleans eagle specialist.

From the Novato Collection of New Orleans Eagles

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