1864 Liberty Head Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS). An attractive and flashy example with subtle prooflike reflectivity in the fields. Clouds of satiny luster halo the design elements and complement the pale ivory-gold coloration. Only lightly circulated with the most minor bag marks and faintest friction on the high points. Abraham Lincoln had won re-election in 1864 as the Civil War continued on, now with Ulysses S. Grant at the head of the Union Army. The war continued to have an effect on coin production and a mere 3,530 eagles were struck in 1864 at Philadelphia. The coins saw immediate and heavy use, so that when this scarce issue is found, it is usually in VF condition. PCGS CoinFacts suggests that only about 40-60 examples remain in all grades. it is a top condition rarity at any AU level and even fewer are known in Mint State - likely fewer than a half dozen unique specimens, including a pair recovered from the <em>S. S. Republic</em>. The present example surely ranks among the finest known survivors and sits near the end of the Condition Census. Just two coins have been certified finer by PCGS through MS-61. This piece even outranks the famous Harry W. Bass example sold in our October 1999 sale graded AU-55 (PCGS).
