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Key date 1863 PCGS AU50 $10 Gold Liberty sold for $45,600 tonight at Heritage

GoldbullyGoldbully Posts: 17,926 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 17, 2025 8:46PM in U.S. Coin Forum

Looks like the Price Guide will need a major adjustment.



Wish I was a player for this incredible piece of Civil War history.

1863 Liberty Eagle, AU50
Low-Mintage Wartime Issue
Rare in Any Grade


1863 $10 AU50 PCGS. The economic uncertainties that accompanied the Civil War led to widespread hoarding and melting of all precious metal coinage after the government suspended specie payments in late 1861. Although gold coinage still circulated to some extent in the hard-money economy of the Western United States, it almost never appeared in everyday transactions in the East. Accordingly, the Philadelphia Mint substantially reduced mintages of all gold coinage during the war years. A minuscule mintage of 1,218 Liberty eagles was accomplished in 1863, accompanied by a small production of 30 proofs for collectors. As a cost-cutting measure, the same obverse die was used to strike both proofs and business strikes that year.

As might be expected, the 1863 Liberty eagle is a classic rarity in the series today. Few 19th century collectors could afford to set aside long date runs of ten dollar coins for their collections, and the few who could preferred to update their holdings by purchasing gold proof sets from the Mint every year. The small business-strike mintage was released into circulation, and few high-quality examples were preserved for numismatic purposes. PCGS CoinFacts estimates no more than 30 to 45 examples survive today in all grades, and Mint State coins are virtually unobtainable.

Auction appearances have been few-and-far-between over the years, and almost all Healy public offerings of the 1863 eagle were proof specimens. The business strikes only began appearing at auction in the 1930s and 1940s, when collecting large denomination gold coins first became popular in this country. One early appearance was in lot 535 of the Dr. Charles W. Green Collection (B. Max Mehl, 4/1949):






Heritage Link

Comments

  • PeakRaritiesPeakRarities Posts: 4,543 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Meh, I don’t find that example to be particularly appealing, and it’s in line with recent APRs. The 2022 comp blows that coin away imo.

    https://coins.ha.com/itm/liberty-eagles/1863-10-au50-pcgs/a/1349-3250.s


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  • pcgsregistrycollectorpcgsregistrycollector Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Looks in line with previous sales. Plus the price guide value seems appropriate. I find the PCGS values are generally 20 to 30 percent higher than actual auction results.

    God comes first in everything I do. I’m dedicated to serving Him with my whole life. Coin collecting is just a hobby—but even in that, I seek to honor Him. ✝️

  • Clackamas1Clackamas1 Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 17, 2025 11:43PM

    Not bad, I mean it is really rare, POP 23 in all grades. What do the ones struck yesterday with a privy mark go for?

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,553 ✭✭✭✭✭

    IMO someone got a good buy, despite the look of this coin.

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • fathomfathom Posts: 1,878 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think three things are going on here:

    -Stacks Bowers sold a decent though not CAC 50 Fairmont for $53K in '22. Much greater eye appeal. I only see a couple Fairmont coins of the 100s of thousands of coins.
    -Market might be a little weak.
    -Not a great look for an AU coin regardless of the rarity.

  • MFeldMFeld Posts: 14,855 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @fathom said:
    I think three things are going on here:

    -Stacks Bowers sold a decent though not CAC 50 Fairmont for $53K in '22. Much greater eye appeal. I only see a couple Fairmont coins of the 100s of thousands of coins.
    -Market might be a little weak.
    -Not a great look for an AU coin regardless of the rarity.

    You left out a fourth thing - the price guide value was already too high prior to the sale.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,681 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There is no way I would accept that as an AU50.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • RobertScotLoverRobertScotLover Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @291fifth said:
    There is no way I would accept that as an AU50.

    Note, no bean

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