Numismatic

1856 $10 Liberty Gold Eagle XF

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Struck in the decade preceding the American Civil War, this 1856 ten-dollar gold piece represents a fascinating era of United States coinage. Minted in Philadelphia, this coin contains 0.4838 troy ounces of pure gold within its 90 percent gold composition. Only 60,490 of these Liberty Eagles were originally produced, making surviving examples in Extra Fine condition a compelling find for historical appreciation. The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Lady Liberty, her hair bound by a band inscribed with her name. Thirteen stars encircle the portrait, symbolizing the original colonies, with the 1856 date anchored at the bottom. True to the practices of the Philadelphia Mint during this era, no mint mark is present on the coin. On the reverse, Christian Gobrecht's detailed heraldic eagle stands with a protective shield draped across its chest. The eagle holds symbols of American strength and peace while surrounded by the legend of the issuing nation, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," and the face value, which is abbreviated at the base as "TEN D."