1855-O Eagle NGC AU50. A relatively scarce issue, which is very rare in higher grades with a total mintage of just 18,000 pieces. Of this number, less than 100 pieces remain to exist in all grades, and the majority of these show extensive signs from circulation and/or mishandling. The small number of pieces that stand out are true rarities, but as Douglas Winter puts it in his book on New Orleans gold coinage “The 1855-O is a coin whose true rarity, especially in higher grades, is still appreciated mainly by specialists.”

Despite the above comment more people have began to notice the true rarity of these pieces, and offerings (which always have been scarce) are becoming less frequent than during the last comment. As such, when any original pieces appears on the market it should be considered with care by anyone seeking such a coin, like the current offering. While it is only graded AU-50 by NGC (in a somewhat older holder) it is a true original piece, with dark color showing on both sides. Many pieces have been dipped in recent times, giving a ‘fresh’ but unnatural look in hopes of attaining a higher grade at the grading companies.

Exceptional eye-appeal is visible on both sides of this coin. Relatively few marks are noted on either side for the grade, and it appears to strike was relatively sharp for the issue. This is one of the issues which were not much found on the various shipwrecks, and it would be unlikely that more examples are discovered. As such, we think the populations will remain at the same levels as they currently are. In all, this is a premium quality piece which must be one of the few original pieces that remain to exist in About Uncirculated, and appears to be undergraded to us.