Numismatic

1862 $10 Liberty Gold Eagle AU-50 PCGS

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The year 1862 represents a critical moment in United States history, making any surviving coinage from this era a compelling object of study. This ten-dollar gold piece, struck with a purity of 0.900 gold, contains 0.4838 troy ounces of precious metal. It represents a classic era of American coinage, produced during a time when gold coins rarely circulated in daily commerce due to wartime hoarding. The obverse features the iconic Coronet style portrait of Liberty, facing left with her hair bound by a band inscribed with the word "LIBERTY". Thirteen stars encircle the portrait, symbolizing the original colonies, with the date 1862 positioned at the bottom. This specific design motif was utilized by the United States Mint for nearly seven decades, from 1838 until 1907, with a slight modification to the portrait style occurring in 1839. On the reverse, a heraldic eagle guards a shield draped across its chest. The bird holds an olive branch and arrows in its talons, surrounded by the legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and the denomination "TEN D." Notably, because this coin was struck in 1862, it lacks the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" above the eagle, as that inscription was not introduced to this denomination until 1866. With a remarkably low original mintage of just 10,960 pieces, this certified About Uncirculated 50 specimen offers a fascinating glimpse into Civil War era minting history.