1861 Liberty Head Eagle. MS-61 (PCGS).
Extremely beautiful surfaces exhibit original honey-rose and orange-apricot colors and lively, satiny mint luster. Sharply to fully struck throughout with very well preserved surfaces. During this first year of armed conflict between the states the Philadelphia Mint churned out an unusually large number of 113,164 circulation strike eagles. These were meant to help fund the Union war effort, and were generally distributed into commerce before the suspension of gold specie payments in December 1861 resulted in the withdrawal of such coins from circulation in the East and Midwest. Ten-dollar gold coinage at the Philadelphia Mint would fall off accordingly the following year, and remain limited throughout much of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Today the 1861 is regarded as one of the most common Liberty Head eagles of the No Motto design type, although it remains scarce to rare in all Mint State grades. This premium quality example represents an important find for the astute gold enthusiast.
PCGS# 8633. NGC ID: 2647.
From the Fairmont Collection - Rhone Set.

Estimate: $6000