RARE PCGS AU58 1849-O $10, ex 400 Esplanade Collection

The 1849-O is among the five scarcest No Motto eagles from the New Orleans mint. There are fewer than two dozen known in properly graded AU, and in AU55 to AU58, there are likely not more than eight to ten known, including the pleasing example.

This piece is accurately graded and while I don’t consider it to be high-end for the grade, it is nicer than all but a small handful of 1849-O eagles. This coin was in the amazing 400 Esplanade Collection and it was replaced by a PCGS/CAC MS60 from the New England Collection. In all, there are only four or five known in all Uncirculated grades, including a PCGS MS61 in the Tyrant Collection and an NGC MS61 owned by the New England Collection.

The current PCGS population of five coins total in AU58 is accurate and this includes a CAC approved piece that brought a record-setting $48,000 as Heritage 2024 FUN: 4372; it earlier sold for $43,200 as Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5239. For non-CAC coins, the last PCGS AU58 was sold at the way back in 8/1999.

This is just the second PCGS AU58 eagle I’ve offered since 2020.

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