Proof 1885 Eagle - 1885 $10 NGC PF64 UCAM. Proof Gold Eagle. This fundamentally rare Type 2 proof ultra cameo eagle has frosted devices and highly reflective, mirrored fields, which indicate that the piece was made early in the production run. The needle-sharp strike shows every detail of both obverse and reverse, which includes razor sharp devices and squared-off lettering and numerals in the legends and the date. Not a trace of wear is seen on the coin, as expected for the grade, and no hairlines are visible to the naked eye.

Acting Mint Engraver Christian Gobrecht designed Liberty Head or Coronet eagle. There are two types of Coronet eagles, Type 1 of 1838 to 1866 and Type 2 of 1867 to 1907. Gobrechts design for the half eagle shows a left facing, young profile of Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed coronet. The portrait of Liberty was based on a Roman neoclassic painting of the Napoleonic era called Pythagoras by Pierre Guerin. It was painted about 1800. The art critic, Vermeule calls her effigy on the coin a sober yet sympathetic portrayal. Her hair is tied in the back and there are two loose curls that hang down her neck. Around the head are thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date is below the truncation. At the periphery of the coin are dentils. The coin also has a reeded edge. The reverse has an eagle holding a Union shield on its breast as it stands with its wings raised and held out from the body. The head and neck are actually too large for the birds size. Its head is turned to the left. Its right talon holds the olive branch, and the left holds three arrows, correcting the error of the previous eagle design. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the top and side rims, interrupted by the wing tips. The denomination, written as TEN D. is below separated from the legend by dots.

In 1866 the Type 2 series began with changes on both sides of the coin. The obverse portrait was made with sharper features, the cutoff line was more level, and the date was better centered. The reverse was changed with the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to a banner above the eagle. The coins were struck at Philadelphia from 1866 to 1907.

When Chief Engraver William Kneass was unable to resume his duties after a debilitating stroke, the new assistant, Christian Gobrecht, was called on to take over the responsibility of making the design for the new half eagle. Robert Patterson, the Mint Director, wanted the new half eagle and eagle to be uniform. Gobrecht accomplished this task, and the new eagle became an important product of the Mint. After Gobrechts death in 1844, James B. Longacre succeeded as Mint Engraver. Since the dies were completely hubbed except for the dates and mintmarks, all Longacre had to do was enter them by hand. However, this practice led to numerous blundered or repunched dies. In 1859 a new reverse punch that had smaller claws on the eagle was used resulting in the Type 2 or new reverse.

Christian Gobrecht became the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. This was an excellent job and Gobrecht was understandably reluctant to work for the Mint for less money than he was making at the engraving firm. In order to persuade him to leave, Mint Director Robert Patterson prevailed upon Chief Engraver William Kneass, who had had the stroke, to take less in salary so more money would be available to hire Gobrecht on a permanent basis. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif which was used for all denominations of sliver coinage including the half dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle.

With an original mintage of 65, the 1885 proof eagle is rare in all grades. In its population report, NGC shows this coin tied for third finest with 1 other and 2 better. At PCGS there is 1 in PF64 DCAM with 3 better, and these numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions.