1871-S Eagle - 1871-S $10 PCGS VF30. This circulated, Western branch mint 1871-S Eagle is a rare survivor. Approximately 90 pieces of this date are known in all grades today. The coin shows even wear, in keeping with the grade. About half the hairlines above the coronet show. The hair curls below the ear are worn but plain. The surfaces are original and clean for the grade with no individually distracting abrasion marks worthy of description.

Between 1805, when President Thomas Jefferson ordered mintage of gold eagles stopped, and 1837 no gold eagles were made. Coinage was of this denomination was resumed with Christian Gobrechts Liberty Head eagle. The size, weight, and fineness were reduced so that the coins were not intrinsically worth more than their denominated value.

The Liberty Head eagle 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 1871-S eagle is rare in all grades. No Mint State specimens are known. In its population report, PCGS shows 5 in VF30 condition with 52 better.