1853/2 Eagle - 1853/2 $10 PCGS XF45 CAC. This scarce, overdate 1853/2 eagle comes with the provenance of the Rive dOr Collection. Some original mint luster remains in protected areas. The coin is yellow and light yellow gold with the devices outlined with darker toning, more so on the reverse. These colors and toning attest to the coins originality. The piece shows sufficient separation between the coronet and hair and within the strands of hair below the coronet to warrant the grade. Similarly on the reverse, lines of the upper part of the wings show enough separation to fulfill the grade requirement. The fields are clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions. The CAC sticker indicates that the coin is a premium quality piece that fully merits the assigned grade. 

During the 1930s, a government meltdown was ordered and most U.S. gold coins were lost forever.  One family, however, had foresight and shipped a group of coins to Europe. The collection included Liberty and Indian Head half eagles and eagles, and Saint-Gaudens double eagles. They survived the turmoil and plundering during World War 2, and stayed hidden, untouched for decades, in a bank vault in France.  When they were finally discovered, they were sent to the PCGS, where they were graded and encapsulated. Seeing the rich history and journey of these coins, the folks at PCGS attached a special pedigree and named it the "Rive d'Or Collection.

The Liberty Head eagle was designed by Christian Gobrecht. It shows Liberty facing left in profile wearing a LIBERTY inscribed coronet with her hair tied in the back in beads. Two long curls hang down her neck, one in the back and the other on the side. She is surrounded with thirteen six-pointed stars. The date is below the truncation, which shows no drapery. The motif is taken from a Benjamin West painting of Venus. It was also used with modifications for the Large Cents of 1839. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with outstretched wing looking to the left. On its chest is the Union shield. In its talons it holds the olive branch and arrows. The error in the previous issue, Scots eagle held the arrows and the olive branches in the wrong talons, is corrected. Except for being interrupted by the tips of the eagles wings UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the reverse, separated from the denomination TEN D. by dots. Dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin, and the edge is reeded.

The 1853/2 overdate was first discovered in a 1960 auction. Originally thought prohibitively rare, it is now considered scarce. In its population report, as of July 2013, CAC has confirmed 1, the present coin, in XF45 condition with 10 higher.