1881-O Liberty Head Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. AU Details--Cleaned (PCGS).Sharply defined throughout, both sides retain a pleasingly original appearance with glints of crimson-russet to otherwise dominant honey-gold patina. Lustrous, as well, with only faint hairlines explaining the PCGS qualifier. After the Civil War, the New Orleans Mint did not resume production of the eagle until 1879 and then only in modest quantities. An often overlooked rarity, only 8,350 coins were struck for the 1881-O, most of which saw considerable circulation. At the time, collecting coins by mintmark had not yet taken off, therefore very little numismatic notice was paid to this issue. Once the 1881-O eagle found an audience, Mint State examples were generally unavailable, making the issue a significant condition rarity. Little has changed in recent years, attractive EF and AU coins representing the finest realistically obtainable for most of todays quality conscious gold collectors.From the Fairmont Collection.
