1851-O Eagle (1851-O $10) NGC AU58. This interesting New Orleans eagle has mint luster on Liberty’s hair and beads. On the reverse the top portions of the eagle’s head, the wings, the olive branch, and the arrows all show bright luster. The coin is virtually free of contact marks or abrasions. It has a touch of wear on the highest points of the design, accounting for the AU grade, and it is fully struck on both sides, which is unusual because this issue is most often found weakly struck in the centers.

At the top of the second stripe, there is a small hollow ring, which is evidently from a center punch into the master die for which there is no explanation. In July 1838, eagle coinage was resumed after a thirty-four year pause. Christian Gobrecht, the Mint Engraver, prepared the dies using a design similar to the one in use for the 1839 Large Cent. He modified the design of John Reich’s eagle for the reverse. Prior to the Civil War, the eagle bore no motto. In 1866 it was added to a banner above the eagle’s head.

The 1851-O date comes in two varieties. The first is with a normal shield. The much more rare second variety is the Hollow Ring type. It is prohibitively rare in uncirculated condition and extremely rare in AU 58, the present coin.