1912 $10 PR(PCGS#8894)

November 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3156

Grade

PR64

Price

45,600

Lot Description

It has been a decade since we last offered an example of this 20th century Sandblast Proof gold rarity at auction, a testament to the elusiveness of specimens in numismatic hands and the infrequency with which they are released from tightly held collections. Delectable honey-orange and rose-gold colors blend seamlessly over both sides and deliver strong eye appeal. The coarse-grain sandblast finish for which this issue is known is fully appreciable at all angles, the individual sparkling facets of which it is comprised best appreciated with the aid of magnification. Fully struck, as befits the method of manufacture, with only a few tiny obverse handling marks preluding an even higher numeric grade. A lovely Proof Indian eagle irrespective of date that will please an advanced collector.<p>The year 1912 was filled with rich history. The European countries were pressing into areas of extreme tensions and the first World War would soon erupt in 1914, a conflict that lasted four long years. On the more peaceful side of things, a great ship was launched on April 10, 1912, the RMS <em>Titanic</em>, but whose brief career ended in tragedy when it struck a massive iceberg on its maiden voyage from England to New York and sank on April 15 that year. This event still effects the safety of ocean voyages and the many maritime laws that govern the safety of passengers. There was great loss of life as there we not enough life boats to hold the passengers and crew of the fast sinking ship, and many perished in the icy waters that night. Meanwhile, many new inventions began to appear and take hold with new ideas on how to do things. The automobile started to become more mainstream, airplanes began to be more commonly seen in the skies, and new farming equipment mechanized many jobs that had been drudgery, while also greatly increasing crop yields.<p>At the United States Mint in Philadelphia, 144 examples of the coiner's art were produced in the form of the Proof 1912 Indian eagle, only 83 of which were reported sold; the remainder were presumably melted in the Mint. With 60 to 70 specimens believed extant, this is an understandably rare issue in today's market. It is also a historic one, as are all classic U.S. Mint coins, as holding this majestic Sandblast Proof will elicit many thoughts and events of the era from which it came, and all the generations that it has since witnessed.