1866-S $10 Motto MS(PCGS#8650)

1866-S $10 Motto MS (PCGS#8650)

Winter 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

Lot Description: Exceptional 1866-S Motto Eagle Among the Finest Certified 1866-S Liberty Head Eagle. Motto. AU-53 (PCGS). Offered is one of the finest surviving 1866-S Motto eagles, an early San Francisco Mint gold issue that is unknown in Mint State. Beautiful honey-rose color blankets surfaces that retain nearly full mint frost. Smooth and attractive for the assigned grade, with bold to sharp striking detail. Despite having a significantly higher mintage of 11,500 pieces, the 1866-S Motto is rarer than its identically dated Philadelphia Mint counterpart (just 3,750 coins struck). This is due to a much higher rate of attrition through circulation for the San Francisco Mint issue, as the continued suspension of specie payments in the East and Midwest kept Philadelphia Mint gold coins out of domestic circulation. There are no Mint State examples known; the present AU is one of the finest certified in the modern numismatic market, and one of fewer than 100 coins believed extant in all grades. Another important bidding opportunity for advanced Liberty Head eagle specialists from the outstanding Fairmont Collection. Provenance: From the Fairmont Collection - CBL Set. PCGS Population: 6; 6 finer (AU-58 finest). PCGS# 8650. NGC ID: 264K. Click here for certification details from PCGS.