1856 Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-61 (NGC).A remarkably well preserved example of this conditionally challenging Type I Liberty Head double eagle issue. Richly toned in golden-orange patina, both sides are further adorned with softly frosted mint luster. The strike is bold throughout, and the in hand appearance is far smoother than one might expect at the assigned grade level. The mintage for the 1856 is 329,878 circulation strikes, down nearly 40,000 pieces from the previous years figure. The face value of Philadelphia Mint double eagles struck that year is $6,597,560. The 1856 is considered by many to be a common date, no doubt because of the size of the mintages that occurred in Philadelphia at the beginning of the series. With regard to higher grades nothing could be further from the truth. This date has long been respected by specialists in the denomination as one of the more challenging Philadelphia Mint issues of the 1850s, especially in attractive Uncirculated condition, as here. Indeed, Q. David Bowers allowed for just 12 to 20 Mint State survivors when he penned his Guide Book of Double Eagle Gold Coins in 2004 for Whitman.
