1852-O Liberty Head Double Eagle. Winter-1. AU-58 (NGC).
Handsome honey-olive surfaces with a tinge of light iridescence evident. Both sides are uncommonly sharp for the issuing mint with abundant mint luster. Nicely composed overall for an early date New Orleans Mint gold coin that saw light commercial use, although a few light marks over and before Liberty's cheek are noted for accuracy. Still, this is a desirable piece that is sure to sell for a solid bid. The New Orleans Mint was the only Southern mint to produce the double eagle and only did so in modest quantities using gold provided from the vast California gold fields. 190,000 examples of the denomination were struck there in 1852, making it the second largest mintage for an O-Mint double eagle. These coins saw use throughout the South and the Atlantic Seaboard and seem to have only infrequently been shipped abroad in international trade. One of the most available of all the O-Mint double eagles, the 1852-O can still be a challenge for the discerning specialist. Estimates vary on the number of surviving specimens, most likely in the range of 1,500 to 1,750 pieces, almost all of which are in mid-level circulated states of preservation. No vast quantities have so far been found in repatriated hoards, though several have appeared from such holdings. A few have been found in the S.S. Central America and S.S. Republic treasures, but these have not substantially augmented the supply. Above EF, this issue is quite scarce and with fewer than two dozen different Mint State examples believed extant, appealing Choice AU specimens - rare in their own right - are in constant demand from double eagle collectors and Southern gold specialists.
PCGS# 8907. NGC ID: 268L.

Estimate: $11000