1855 Liberty Head Double Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS). Sharply struck overall with richly original straw-gold patina blanketing both sides. The year 1855 is the first in which the Philadelphia Mint would produce fewer double eagles that its San Francisco counterpart, indicative of the fact that the newly opened West Coast facility would leverage its proximity to the gold fields to strike the lions share of Californias precious metal into coins. This dominance would continue, with few exceptions, through the end of the Liberty Head series in 1907. Indeed, the mintage for the 1855, 364,666 circulation strikes, is modest by Philadelphia Mint standards of the era. The total face value for the issue is $7,293,320. With perhaps as few as 15 to 20 different Mint State examples extant, attractive Choice About Uncirculated coins such as this are always in demand among advanced gold enthusiasts.
