The
numismatic adventure can be enriched by acquiring groups of
coins in meaningful combinations. Sets of coins can run from
two pieces to many. In the areas of rare date and early silver
and gold coins we have established certain sets of special
interest. They include the first and last of an issue, type
sets, design sets, year sets, and those that are joined by
historical events such as the Civil War. The coins of each
set are specially selected for you and your collecting needs.
We are specialists in this
area and will expertly and confidentially help you assemble
a set similar to the one you see below, which is made up of
pieces from the US Rare Coin Investments’ archives.
We will cherry pick through millions of dollars of rare coins
selecting only the finest quality pieces for your collection.
A Set of First and
Last Eagles, Liberty Head Type 1 1838 and 1866-S
The Liberty Head also called
Coronet Head eagle was designed by Christian Gobrecht. Type
1, No Motto, was minted from 1838 to 1866. Midway through
the second year of issue, the design was modified. Changes
were made to Liberty’s portrait and the lettering.
Type 2 was created when the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added
in 1866. The two coins in this set are the first and last
Without Motto type.
Gobrecht’s design
has 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, Scot’s eagle held the
arrows and the olive branches in the wrong talons, is corrected.
Except for being interrupted by the tips of the eagle’s
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.
During the first two years
of production, the First Head had Large Letters with it.
It continued in use until June 1839 and is sometimes called
the “Head of 1838.” Later in the year the head
was redesigned, made smaller, and the letters were smaller
too. This one is sometimes called the “New Portrait,
Small Letters” or “Second Head, Small Letters.”
1838
Eagle - After 34 years of no eagle
production, the Liberty Head eagle was minted in 1838.
With a mintage of only 7,200 the first year of issue
is rare. Most pieces are seen are heavily circulated
to XF condition.
This first design of a low mintage,
two-year type 1838 eagle comes in an old NGC holder.
Smoldering mint luster remains in protected areas
on both sides of the coin. The strike is above average
in that there is some detail in the centers of the
stars, the shield, and the lower part of the eagle.
Very slight wear is seen on the highest points of
the design, and, for the grade, the surfaces are free
of individual distractions worthy of mention.
1866-S
Eagle - The 1866-S No Motto eagle
is scarce in all conditions. It had a fairly low mintage
of 8,500 and a low survival rate. Most pieces are
in lower circulated condition. All of the shipwrecks,
the SS Brother Jonathan, the SS Central America, and
the SS Republic went down before this date was struck.
This scarce, low mintage Western branch
mint 1866-S No Motto eagle is the only piece confirmed
by CAC as of May 2012. Traces of mint luster remain
in protected areas. The coin shows even, light wear
consistent with the grade. The XF45 is confirmed by
CAC, which indicates that the coin is of premium quality
and well within the range of the grade assigned. The
surfaces are original and relatively free of distracting
abrasions or other marks.
