1801 Eagle $10 PCGS MS62 (BD-2, R-2). In the descriptions of early gold coins that we offer for sale we can almost never leave out how difficult these pieces are to find in original condition. 200+ years is a very long time for any manmade object, and many will not survive in excellent condition. Especially not, when it was meant to be used by people and not remain to exist in nearly the same condition as the day that it was made. Whenever we do offer such an example, such as the gold ten dollar gold piece in uncirculated condition offer here, we feel proud and happy that we can offer these enigmatic pieces of history.

Seeing a coin such as this in hand will give satisfaction to the collector and investor, the latter who has a safe and attractive investment in his portfolio, which has proven it value for centuries (literally). The collector will appreciate the beauty of this coin, and to fully appreciate it should not only look at the coin itself, but also at the times this coin was minted. For example, some random events from 1801 included the election of Thomas Jefferson as the 3rd president of the United States, and the discovery of Ultraviolet light, now used for many purposes.

Minted in the same year as the above events, this gold eagle had an estimated mintage of 44,344 pieces, although the number might have been somewhat lower. Incredibly, despite problems at the early Mint with die life, only two die pairs struck the total mintage, the first reverse die which was also used in 1799 and 1800. BD-1, the first variety is the rarer of the two, although BD-2,of which the present coin is an example can not be considered to be common, with 600 to 800 examples known to exist. This number included damaged, cleaned and otherwise impaired example, which appear to make up a large number of the total known to exist.

BD-2 is easily identified by the obverse die, only used on this variety. The final star, in front of Liberty, is close to the bust, where the star is more separated from it on BD-1. Other diagnostics included star 8 close to cap, with two points pointing at the cap and thin, long spines of the stars. The reverse is identified by the position of the star closest to the beck of the eagle, which nearly touches it on BD-2 but is further away on BD-1. The dies have remained in remarkable fine condition, with only some die clashing visible on the reverse of some pieces.

The present coin, graded MS-62 by PCGS has premium quality surfaces and the excellent eye-appeal. Lightly toned with moderate prooflike devices and darker fields which only show a limited number of marks for the grade assigned. Both sides are sharply impressed, with virtually no weakness noted on either side. Furthermore, this coin is free from the often encountered adjustment marks, often having at least some impact on the eye-appeal of an early gold coin. This coin has been beautifully preserved and is a perfect addition for a high-grade type set or varied portfolio of valuable rare coins.