1853-O Liberty Head Double Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. AU-55 (NGC). Offered is an important coin for advanced double eagle or New Orleans Mint enthusiasts, as relatively few 1853-O $20s survive from the mintage of 71,000 pieces, and very few grade finer than AU-50. This is a fully Choice About Uncirculated example with vivid golden-olive surfaces that retain plenty of lively mint luster. The strike is impressively sharp throughout the design, with the surfaces displaying only the most trivial rub confirming a short stint in commerce. Virtually all known surviving 1853-O double eagles show some degree of circulation, and finding an example in such a high technical grade as AU-55 usually requires considerable patience and much persistence. Definitely a find, the present 1853-O is in a grade high enough to attract an advanced specialist, yet it is much less expensive than a Mint State coin would be, if indeed you could find a nice one.New Orleans Mint double eagles were important in the trade of their day - by steamboat up the Mississippi River connecting to inland cities and towns, and by sea to foreign countries. It is little wonder, then, that issues such as the 1853-O saw intense use, and suffered a high rate of attrition. PCGS# 8910. NGC ID: 268N.
