1853-O Liberty Head Double Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. AU-58 (PCGS). Offered is an important coin for the advanced double eagle or New Orleans Mint enthusiast, as relatively few 1853-O $20s survive from the mintage of 71,000 pieces. Bright golden-honey surfaces retain ample semi-reflectivity. The strike is razor sharp throughout the design and displays only the most trivial rub. Virtually all known surviving 1853-O double eagles show some degree of circulation, and finding an example in such a high technical grade as AU-58 usually requires considerable patience and much persistence. Definitely a find for the advanced gold collector, the present 1853-O is in a grade high enough to attract an advanced specialist, yet it is much less expensive than a Mint State coin would be, if indeed you could find a nice one. New Orleans Mint double eagles were important to trade in their day -- by steamboat up the Mississippi River connecting to inland cities and towns, and by sea to foreign countries. It is little wonder, then, that issues such as the 1853-O saw intense use, and suffered a high rate of attrition.
