VERY RARE 1867-S EAGLE

The 1867-S is the rarest With Motto Liberty Head eagle from the San Francisco mint. There are an estimated 60-70 known from a mintage of 9,000 and none exists in any grade higher than AU55. The 1867-S is mostly seen in VF and lower EF grades and almost never with good eye appeal. The best I have ever seen brought $23,000 as Stacks Bowers 2/12: 4336 and this coin was graded PCGS AU55.

This russet and green gold example shows subdued luster atop uncommonly mark-free surfaces. The typical 1867-S eagle is very bright and very abraded with negative overall eye appeal. This piece has an appearance that most sophisticated collectors will find pleasing and the only mark meriting description is a shallow diagonal cut on the cheek of Liberty.

Only four coins graded EF45 have sold at auction in over a decade. The last PCGS EF45 1867-S to sell at auction was Heritage 1/06: 5432, which brought $6,038 in a market which did not show much interest in better date Liberty Head eagles. An NGC EF45 brought $8,688 in the Heritage 2009 CSNS sale. I have handled just two different examples in close to five years.

For all intents and purposes, this date is just about impossible to find choicer than this.