1859-O Seated Dollar (1859-O Seated S$1) NGC MS61. This Seated Dollar exhibits obverse light toning except around the date where the toning is somewhat darker. The upper third of the coin is a mixture of pale lavender, blue, grey, and white. There is some light orange and blue in the left field and more steel blue in the right. The reverse is a mixture of grey-blue and pale lavender, especially on the shield. On the reverse, the eagle shimmers with luster while Liberty looks as if a light is shining on her face, shoulder, and arm because of the obverse luster. There are several small contact marks and scratches on the obverse field with more on the reverse, which probably account for the low mint state grade. The coin is fully struck especially the reverse on which we see every feather and the details of each device.

Robert Ball Hughes modified Gobrecht’s dollar in several ways. He chose to cover up most of Liberty’s exposed skin in the interest of modesty by making her carry a bulky cloak over her arm. Even more significant was the abandonment of Gobrecht’s magnificent flying eagle in favor of the previous John Reich eagle with shield perched on arrows and olive branches. Many heavily bag-marked 1859 New Orleans dollars that had been stored in bank vaults and used to meet reserve requirements were released in the early sixties. Prior to 1962, the 1859-O dollar was extremely rare; however, it was among those dates released by the Treasury Department , thus making it available to collectors today.