Cert #8655 29583064

Coin Number 123

Here is another rare eagle with a tiny mintage, a scant 1,830 pieces were struck from which today are around 50 to 60 known. This is the finest seen by PCGS and certainly one of the very best known. Enticing bold contrast between the mirrored fields and frosted devices create a coin which appears to be a proof at first glance. The dies simply never lost their polish with so few produced. Thankfully the thick frost on the devices deflected most of the handling marks, but the mirror fields do show the tiny handling marks. Struck during the year of the great gold market corner by Jay Gould and James Fisk who drove the price of gold to new heights, only to see the price come crashing back to earth when President Grant released some of the government’s gold hoard.

Ex Simpson/Hall