Numismatic

1849 $10 Liberty Gold Eagle VF Details (Cleaned)

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This ten-dollar gold piece, minted in 1849 at the Philadelphia Mint, is a remarkable survivor from a bygone era of American coinage. Out of an original mintage of 653,618, many of these coins were melted down over the decades, making surviving specimens like this one particularly intriguing to explore. Crafted with a gold purity of 0.900, the coin contains 0.4838 troy ounces of precious metal. The obverse features Christian Gobrecht's elegant depiction of Liberty facing left, her hair bound by a band inscribed with the word LIBERTY. Thirteen stars encircle her portrait, representing the original colonies, with the year 1849 anchored at the bottom. This design was a staple of American gold currency, appearing on these pieces from 1838 to 1907. On the reverse, a bold heraldic eagle stands with a shield across its chest, clutching an olive branch and arrows. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the upper rim, while the denomination TEN D. is stamped below. This specific coin has been graded as Very Fine Details, noting that it has been cleaned, which offers a unique window into its long physical journey through time.