The 1857-O and 1858-O are an anomaly among New Orleans Mint double eagles from the late 1850s, as the only two issues from that era with original mintages in excess of 10,000 coins. For the 1857-O, records provide a figure of 30,000 pieces struck in New Orleans, despite being closed for coinage operations in the early part of the year due to repair work to the building that had begun in 1855. Apparently more gold bullion reached New Orleans from California in 1857 than in the previous three years. A more generous mintage does not mean that the 1857-O is a readily obtainable double eagle. In fact, it is still an elusive, key date issue, with Q. David Bowers ( A Guide Book of Double Eagle Gold Coins , 2004) providing an estimate of fewer than 150 surviving examples in all grades. In this regard the 1857-O compares favorably with the 1858-O (35,250 pieces produced), with both issues typically offered in VF or EF grades, as here. Warmly and evenly toned in light khaki-gold, this handsome piece even retains faint traces of an original semi-prooflike finish. As with most New Orleans Mint double eagles from the 1850s, the 1857-O is challenging to locate with an overall bold strike. Fortunately on the present example the central devices are actually quite sharp for the assigned grade, and even the peripheral devices include full radial lines for most of the obverse stars. This is a premium EF example, and one of several scarce and important New Orleans Mint double eagles offered in this sale. ， Est. $10,000-$15,000
