1846/5-O Liberty Head Eagle. Winter-3. AU-58 (PCGS).<p>This nearly Uncirculated eagle retains traces of semi-prooflike reflectivity in the fields, the texture otherwise satiny and near-fully lustrous. Sharply struck in general with pretty color in bright olive-orange. The 1846-O has a mintage of just 81,780 pieces, far fewer than the 571,500 pieces reported for the 1847-O. While the latter is the most plentiful No Motto eagle from the New Orleans Mint, the former is among the rarest. This is particularly true in the finest circulated and Mint State grades, with Southern gold expert Doug Winter commenting in his 2006 New Orleans Mint reference: "[The 1846-O] is especially hard to find in higher grades and coins with good eye appeal are nearly unheard of." This is just such a coin, and its certified grade of AU-58 gives it some claim to Condition Census. It is sure to appeal to astute bidders, and we anticipate strong competition when it crosses the auction block.<p>Winter-3 is the most frequently encountered die marriage of the 1846-O eagle. Once regarded as an overdate, the bottom of the digit 6 exhibits a large dot within its loop, the result of a damaged date punch.PCGS# 8596. NGC ID: 262X.PCGS Population: 3; 3 finer (MS-61 finest).
