This numismatically significant issue is the first collectable double eagle from the Philadelphia mint and it has an appearance that tends to be much different than the Type One issues that follow it. It is typically found better struck and there are some higher grade coins (in the MS62/63 range) that have superb color and detail. Circulated examples are relatively available but many are heavily abraded and most have been dipped or messwed with.

BD-8, R-2. The new Bust Left variety was introduced in 1807 and continued until it was replaced in 1813. None of the issues made during this era are really rare except in higher grades and nice MS62 examples are, in my opinion, amongst the best values of this type. Properly graded MS62′s are free of wear and really new but not priced out of the range of many early gold collectors.

Large Date variety. After years of neglect, the 1854 Large Date has been acknowledged as one of the rarest Philadelphia Type One double eagles. It is screamingly rare in Uncirculated and nice AU55 to AU58 examples are about as high up on the ladder as most collectors can hope for.

If you like crusty Type One double eagles, you’ll really like this coin. It has deep green-gold color with underlying flashes of rose and orange-gold. The detail is excellent and there is quite a bit of luster in the protected areas. At less than $3,000 you really can’t go wrong with coins such as this.

I’m a big fan of the San Francisco gold dollar coinage. They are very inexpensive in circulated gradces but are scarce and very easy to assemble a set. The 1858-S has a mintage of just 10,000 coins and it is almost never seen in Uncirculated. This nice AU58 is well struck and shows splashes of orange-gold color on the surfaces. An old reverse scratch runs from the rim at around 7:00 to the bow.

You don’t often see Carson City double eagles that are nearly free of marks and this coin is just that: a piece that probably never saw circulation and somehow avoided the throw-it-in-a-bag fate that met so many of these coins when they were shipped. Both sides have thick, frosty luster with nice rose and green-gold color. A few small grease stains on the obverse are mint-made and do not detract.