1844-O $10 Liberty Head Eagle PCGS XF40 Ex.SS Central America
SOLD
SKU
SSCA6876
THERE WERE ONLY 2 examples of the 1844-O $10 Liberty Eagle brought up during the original recovery (1999) of the S.S. Central America by the Odyssey Group, as indexed by the reference A California Gold Rush History. PCGS certified both of these recovered coins. Now that we know the populations of the second recovery effort (released in 2018), ONLY 1 MORE coin (graded AU53 and designated as with a "pinch") can be added to that total. It cannot be understated as to how very unusual it is to have recovered a branch mint gold Eagle, perhaps the "workhorse" denomination at the time, from the bottom of the sea. Of further interest, only 26 New Orleans mint eagles were recorded from during the initial recovery of the shipwreck; coins dated between 1843 and 1854.
The present example has the original gold foil insert and is labeled as #6876. We can only account for 1 of the 2 certified coins having appeared at public auction in the 20 years since they've been released and that sole appearance happened to occur in 2000 (graded as an XF45 and catalogued by Christies as the "finer of the two" to be certified by PCGS).
The present specimen displays a rich light yellow gold with retained original luster in the surrounding devices and legends. In our opinion, this coin is conservatively graded and is certified as Extremely Fine (XF40). It's well struck and really choice for the grade with superb eye appeal, and showing signs of light circulation - considering 13 years between the actual minting and its deep sea rest.
The S.S. Central America went from being an almost-forgotten maritime disaster to an oft-told treasure tale after the discovery of the wreck -- and the golden cargo within. We highly recommend interested market participants read The Ship of Gold. It has a wonderful account of both the disaster in 1857 and the salvage operation that took place within the last thirty years.
| PCGS # | 8591 |
|---|---|
| Grading Service | PCGS |
| Year of Issue | 1844 |
| Grade | XF40 |
| Denom Type | Liberty Head $10 |
| Numeric Denomination | $10 |
| Mint Location | New Orleans |
| Designation | NONE |
| Circ/UnCirc | Circulated |
| Strike Type | Business |
| Grade Add On | NONE |
| Holder Type | SS Central America |
