1862-S Liberty Head Eagle. AU-55 (PCGS).
Here is a significant survivor from a rare issue that is typically offered well worn, if not also impaired. It is remarkably sharp in detail with blended orange-apricot highlights to dominant golden-honey color. The surfaces are near-fully lustrous in a frosty texture. A low mintage issue that suffered heavily in circulation, the 1862-S eagle has an extant population of no more than 80 coins from a mintage of 12,500 pieces. Struck during an era when gold (and silver) coinage saw extensive commercial use on the West Coast, virtually no examples were purposely set aside at the time. Rather, the vast majority circulated until worn out or, in most cases, destroyed through melting. The typical survivor grades EF-45 or lower, and only a single Mint State coin is known, the PCGS MS-61 PCGS Hall-Simpson coin. At AU-55, the offered coin is solidly in the Condition Census. It represents the finest in quality realistically obtainable for most advanced gold enthusiasts, and will be a prize for advanced Liberty Head specialists and Set Registry participants.
PCGS# 8636. NGC ID: 264A.
PCGS Population: 9; 7 finer, just one of which is Mint State (MS-61).
From the Fairmont Collection - JBR Set.