1881-O Liberty Head Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. AU-58 (PCGS).Vivid medium gold surfaces are sharply struck with much of the original frosty to semi-prooflike finish remaining. 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, attractively original and problem-free Choice AU coins such as this representing the finest realistically obtainable for most of todays quality conscious gold collectors.
