A run of low-mintage run of Philadelphia eagles kicks off with the 1870 issue, followed by the rare 1871, 1872, and 1873 dates. In the case of the 1870 ten dollar the mintage of only 3,900 is actually a good indication of this issue’s rarity. It is rarely seen in AU condition and only one…
The 1903 Louisiana Purchase McKinley and Jefferson gold dollars were the first of the new denomination, and they were struck in quantities far larger than the numismatic market would absorb. Each of the two kinds was struck in the amount of 125,000 coins, but all save an estimated 17,500 of each type were melted. Most…
While the Civil War effectively ended the circulation of gold and silver coinage up and down the East Coast, hard money remained in the channels of Western commerce throughout that fraught period in American history. The San Francisco Mint struck 9,500 half eagles in 1862, nearly all of which ended up in circulation. Probably three…
Numismatists are familiar with Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ eagle and double eagle, but his oeuvre included statues, bas-reliefs, medallions, cameos, and works in other media. As a teenager he began his career with an apprenticeship to a cameo-cutter before he left for Paris in 1867. Although he was able to make some money selling cameos in New…
Like other gold denominations, gold dollars were minted in generous quantities in 1861, a year that saw a large influx of the yellow metal from out West. After the outbreak of the Civil War, gold and silver were quickly driven out of circulation by hoarding, so it is unsurprising to find that the 1861, with…
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