Numismatic

1888-O $10 Liberty Gold Eagle AU Details (Cleaned)

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In 1888, the New Orleans Mint struck a remarkably small run of ten-dollar gold pieces, totaling just 21,335 coins. Over the decades, many of these issues were melted down, leaving only a fraction of the original mintage for modern observers to appreciate. This particular specimen survived, showing details consistent with an Almost Uncirculated grade, though it bears evidence of past cleaning. Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the obverse of this pre-1933 gold coin features a left-facing portrait of Liberty. She wears a coronet inscribed with her name, while thirteen stars encircle her. On the reverse, a heraldic eagle guards a shield on its chest, clutching an olive branch and arrows. The legend indicating the nation of origin and the ten-dollar denomination surrounds the central eagle, with the distinctive "O" mint mark of the Louisiana facility positioned below.