1851-O Liberty Head Double Eagle. Winter-1. AU-58 (PCGS).This is a very well preserved example of the otherwise relatively obtainable 1851-O double eagle. Attractive surfaces exhibit bright golden-apricot color and nearly full, frosty mint luster. The strike is well above average by early New Orleans Mint standards. Pleasingly smooth for the assigned grade, and offering outstanding eye appeal, this impressive coin would serve as a highlight in an advanced double eagle set or Southern gold collection.<p>After a modest mintage of 141,000 pieces in 1850, the New Orleans Mint increased double eagle output to 315,000 coins in 1851. Clearly more gold from California reached the Crescent City in the latter year, and the 1851-O has the highest mintage among New Orleans Mint double eagles. Perhaps not surprisingly, this is the most frequently encountered O-Mint double eagle. Survivors are scarce, however, particularly when compared to many Philadelphia Mint issues of the era such as the 1851, 1852 and 1853. As with all early date Liberty Head double eagle issues, the 1851-O is typically offered in circulated grades, most examples grading EF-40 through low end AU. Mint State survivors are exceedingly rare, most of which have survived purely as a matter of chance. There was no contemporary numismatic interest in these early double eagles, especially from the New Orleans Mint. This is a significant near-Mint offering that will appeal to advanced gold enthusiasts.PCGS# 8905. NGC ID: 268J.
