LOT #3290 |
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1864-S $10 AU55 NGC....
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Sold on Jan 14, 2026 for:
$219,600.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Description
1864-S Ten Dollar Liberty, AU55
The Sole Finest at NGC
A Spectacular Rarity in Any Grade
1864-S $10 AU55 NGC. Only in recent years has the 1864-S
Liberty eagle begun receiving the recognition it deserves as a
rarity in all grades. PCGS estimates a survivorship of only 22 to
26 pieces. This is likely correct, taking into account some
duplication in the certification totals. PCGS and NGC combined
report 35 submissions. The date tends to show up at auction with a
greater degree of regularity than one would expect considering its
rarity, but this is largely the result of the same handful of
examples getting passed around -- a phenomenon that was true even
two decades before before the issue received proper recognition of
its rarity, and which likely contributed to that delay in
recognition. This cataloger recalls when a raw example previously
unknown to the numismatic community was discovered in 2021, but
generally speaking, the population of the 1864-S eagle is mostly
finite.The San Francisco Mint struck only 2,500 gold eagles in 1864, and all went into circulation. Most survivors are well worn, with the finest surviving examples grading AU55. PCGS reports four coins in this top grade (two of which are Plus designated), but the current coin is the sold finest at NGC. This is a coin we have not previously handled. Thus, it breaks the trend of the same few 1864-S examples changing hands and provides collectors with an opportunity to not only acquire a fresh example, but one of the finest known at that.
Deep orange-gold patina encompasses each side, with hints of luster still clinging to the protected areas of the fields. Only light wear appears over each side. The obverse is mostly clean, though a long horizontal mark on the bottom of the bust at the truncation serves as a pedigree marker. The reverse has a cluster of marks in the upper field and on the eagle's head but is otherwise mostly clean as well. For the issue, eye appeal is exceptional. NGC Census: 1 in 55, 0 finer (12/25).
Roster of Significant 1864-S Eagles, Provided by Ron Guth of the Numismatic Detective Agency
1. AU55+ PCGS. Chicago Signature (Heritage, 10/2018), lot 3179, $219,005.
2. AU55+ PCGS. Prior provenance unknown.
3. AU55 PCGS. Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 1/1999), lot 1458, not sold.
4. AU55 PCGS. (Paramount, 8/1969), lot 2116; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part III (Bowers and Merena, 5/2000), lot 656, $36,800.
5. AU55 NGC. The present coin.
6. AU53 PCGS. Donald E. Bently Collection (Heritage, 3/2014), lot 30366, $146,875; Numismatic Americana and Early American Coins (Stack's Bowers, 6/2020), lot 1268, not sold.
7. AU50 PCGS. Prior provenance unknown.
8. AU50 PCGS. 62rd Anniversary Sale (Stack's, 10/1998), lot 1604, $19,800.
9. AU50 Uncertified. Jascha Heifetz Collection (Superior, 10/1989), lot 4761, $9,350; GNA Sale (Mid-American Rare Coin Auctions, 5/1992), lot 367, $15,400.
10. AU details, cleaned NGC. FUN Platinum Night (Heritage, 1/2020), lot 4467, $60,010.(Registry values: N7079)
From The Charles Hirsch Collection, Part I.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 264E, PCGS# 8640, Greysheet# 9463)
Weight: 16.72 grams
Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
View all of [The Charles Hirsch Collection, Part I ]
Auction Info
2026 January 14 - 17 FUN US Coins Signature® Auction #1390 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2026
14th-17th
Wednesday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 24
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 315
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid per lot.
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