LIBERTY HEAD GOLD
EAGLE - MOTTO ON REVERSE - (1866-1907)
Liberty
Head Eagle, Motto Added 1866-1907
- In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson stopped the mintage of
eagles. Because its melt value exceeded its monetary value,
there was excessive melting of theses coins. Over thirty years
later, the standard weight and fineness for gold coins was
changed.
Eagles
went from 270 grains to 258 and fineness from 91.67% to 90%
gold. In 1838 Mint Director Patterson told Engraver Gobrecht
to prepare new dies for the eagle. The Type 2 Liberty Head
Eagle, Motto Added was created when the motto IN GOD WE TRUST
was added to a banner designed by James B. Longacre above
the eagle in 1866. The change was made in response to pressure
organized by the Reverend M.R. Watkinson. The motto remained
until 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt told Augustus
Saint-Gaudens to omit it on the newly designed eagle.
Mintages remained small from
1866 to 1878. Some of the most famous rarities of the Liberty
Head Eagle, Motto Added series were made at Philadelphia in
1871-1873 and 1875-1877 and at Carson City in 1870 and 1873.
The Philadelphia rarities are a result of the banks’
failure to resume specie payments in gold or silver or even
in federal paper. The Carson City rarities were produced because
of official orders that limited the mintages, which was then
used as an excuse to close the branch Mint. Most of the business
strikes of the Liberty Head Eagle, Motto Added of these years
were melted. About 30 to 60 percent of the proof coinage of
these years survived. Proof mintages for the Liberty Head
Eagle, Motto Added series range from 1 to 120, which indicated
that all proof coins are rare, and many are prohibitively
rare in any condition.
Sets in uncirculated condition
for this period cannot be assembled because for many of the
dates there are no mint state survivors. Mintages increased
after the Specie Resumption Act of 1878, and mintage increased.
Today, when a collector is interested in Liberty Head eagles
of common date eagles, it is understood to mean Philadelphia
or San Francisco mint coins of 1880 to 1907.
Minute differences in the date or position of the mintmark
account for varieties in the Liberty Head Eagle, Motto Added
series. There are overdates in 1879, 1899, and 1906-D; and
repunched mintmark is noted for 1889-S.
Low
mintage coin; only 80 to 85 are known in all grades.
In Mint State only 5 have been certified, the finest
of which is an MS64 example. About 13 proofs known.
Approximately
70 are known in all grades; usually seen in low circulated
condition, rare above VF; none have been certified Mint
State; the finest certified are 4 in AU58.
Low mintage coin; only 85 to 90 are known in all grades;
usually seen in XF to AU condition; only 3 have been
certified Mint State, the highest of which is a single
MS61 example. About 10 proofs known.
Scarce
in all grads; usually found in VF or lower; none have
been certified Mint State; the finest certified are
10 in AU58, a group which no doubt includes multiple
submissions.
Extremely low mintage; only 65 to 70 are known to exist;
only 3 have been certified Mint State, the finest of
which is a single MS63 example. About 13 proofs known.
Extremely rare; only 65 to 70 are known to exist; usually
seen in low circulated condition; only 3 have been certified
Mint State, the finest of which are 2 MS61 examples.
The
first eagle from Carson City; low mintage, usually been
in low circulated condition; about 50 to 55 known; none
have been certified Mint State; the finest certified
are 5 in AU55.
Extremely
low mintage; extremely rare in all grades; only 65 to
70 are known, most are seen in XF condition; the finest
certified is a single MS60 example. About 13 proofs
known.
Scarce
in all grades; usually seen in low circulated condition;
extremely rare in Mint State with only 2 certified,
the finest of which is a single MS61.
Extremely
rare, low mintage coin; only 35 have been certified
in all grades by both services, the finest of which
is a single MS60 example. About 14 proofs known.
Low
mintage; approximately 70 known; rare in all grades;
usually found in circulated condition with heavy bag
marks and soft obverse centers; none have been certified
Mint State; the finest known are 3 in AU58.
Usually
found in low circulated condition; scarce AU to XF;
often seen with coppery toning spots; only 2 certified
in Mint State, the finer of which is an MS65.
Lowest
mintage of any regular issue U.S. gold coin; only about
8 are known in all grades; none have been certified
Mint State; the finest certified is a single AU55 example.
About 11 proofs known.
Low
mintage; usually softly struck; usually found in low
circulated condition; only 3 have been certified Mint
State, the finest of which is a single MS63 example.
Extremely
low mintage; approximately 45 are known in all grades;
usually seen in XF to AU condition; only 1 has been
certified Mint State, and it is an MSPL61 example. About
20 proofs known.
Low
mintage; approximately 90 are known in all grades; usually
found in low circulated condition; none have been certified
Mint State; the finest known is a single AU58 example.
Extremely
low mintage; 55 to 60 are known in all grades; only
2 have been certified Mint State, the finer of which
is an MS61 example. About 8 proofs known.
Very
low mintage; rare in all grades with 65 to 70 known;
usually found softly struck; none have been certified
Mint State; the finest certified are 2 in AU58.
Very
low mintage date; lowest CC mintage of series; only
50 to 55 are known; usually poorly struck with heavy
bag marks; only 1 has been certified Mint State, an
MS62 example.
Common
up to AU and low Mint State grades; usually yellow-gold
color with frosty luster; rare above MS63; the finest
certified is a single MS66 example.
Common
date with thousands certified Mint State; sometimes
seen in prooflike condition; rare above MS64 with only
3 certified Mint State, the finest of which is a single
MS69 example. About 13 proofs known.
Low
mintage; usually found in low circulated grades; prohibitively
rare in Mint State with only 3 examples certified, the
finest of which is a single MS62 example.
Common
date in grades up to MS63; the finest certified are
7 in MS64; sometimes found with prooflike finish, the
finest certified is a single MSPL63 example. About 18
proofs known.
Extremely
low mintage, only approximately 45 are known; usually
softly struck with heavy abrasion marks, sometimes with
prooflike finish; the finest certified is a single MS61
example.
Usually
found in XF condition; rare in AU and MS grades; often
seen in prooflike condition; only 6 have been certified
Mint State, the finest of which are 2 in MS61.
Scarce
in all grades; rare in Mint State; most show raised
lines from Liberty’s ear down her neck; only 14
have been certified Mint State, the fines of which are
6 in MS61.
Usually
available in grades up to MS62; the finest certified
are 3 in MS64; usually lustrous; sometimes with prooflike
surfaces. About 23 proofs known.
Common
date; thousands certified in Mint State; scarce in Gem
condition; the finest certified is a single MS66 example.
Sometimes seen with prooflike surfaces. About 30 proofs
known.
Last
year of production for the Carson City mint; most are
in circulated condition; only 21 have been certified
Mint State, the fines of which are 6 in MS62 condition.
One
of the most common dates in the series; thousands certified
Mint State; only 18 certified MS65 with none higher.
Sometimes seen with prooflike surfaces. About 28 proofs
known.
Available
in grades up to MS62; scarce in MS63; rare in MS64 and
MS65; the finest certified is a single MS65 example.
Sometimes seen with prooflike surfaces.
Common
date up to MS64; rare in Gem and above; the finest certified
is a single MS67 example. Sometimes seen with prooflike
surfaces. About 35 proofs known.
Common
in grades up to MS63; scarce in MS64; the finest certified
is a single MS65 example. Sometimes seen with prooflike
surfaces. About 40 proofs known.
Common
in grades up to MS63; scarce in Gem grade; the finest
certified is a single MS67 example. Sometimes seen with
prooflike surfaces. About 40 proofs known.
Common
in grades up to MS63; scarce in Gem condition; the finest
certified are 2 in MS67. Sometimes seen with prooflike
surfaces. About 45 proofs known.
Very
common in grades up to MS64; scarce in Gem condition;
the finest certified is a single MS69, one of two Liberty
Head eagles to earn this grade. Sometimes seen with
prooflike surfaces. About 50-55 proofs known.
Available
in grades up to MS63; rare in Gem condition; the finest
certified is a single MS69, one of two Liberty Head
eagles to earn this grade. Sometimes seen with prooflike
surfaces.
Somewhat
scarce date in low Mint State grades; only 6 certified
in Gem condition; the finest certified is a single MS66
example. About 50-55 proofs known.
