1864 Liberty Head $10 Gold Eagle

1864 Liberty Head $10 gold eagles are very scarce coins, as few were originally made and fewer survive today. These popular U.S. gold coins were designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht. In addition to designing the 1864 Liberty Head eagles coins, Gobrecht designed Seated Liberty coinage, which was struck from the late 1830s through early 1890s and remains popular with numismatists nowadays.

1864 $10 gold eagle coins contain 0.4806 ounces of gold and are valued as bullion coins due to their intrinsic metal content. However, these rare coins receive much more attention as numismatic collectibles and are worth far more than their gold content alone. Here’s an overview of the 1864 Liberty Head gold eagle $10 coin mintage figures and values:

• 1864, 3,580 minted; $5,000

• 1864-S, 2,500; $40,000

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine 20.

While mintage figures for both coins are within ballpark of each other, the San Francisco issue is much rarer than the already scarce Philadelphia issue. This is mainly the case due to melting, as few mintmarked coins were ever intentionally preserved back in the 19th century. A good general rule of thumb to follow when buying 1864 $10 gold coins or any other pre-1933 U.S. gold coins is to buy only certified specimens to ensure authenticity.