Two NGC-certified 1864 Liberty Head gold coins each realize over $250,000

The rarities from the Civil War era made history for the auction site.

Two extremely rare Civil War-era gold coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) each realized six figures in GreatCollections auctions that ended on June 27, 2021. Both coins are dated 1864 — the year Abraham Lincoln won re-election and Ulysses S. Grant headed the Union Army.

The first coin is an 1864 Liberty Head $10 graded NGC PF-65 Ultra Cameo that realized $298,125. As lot 1000000, it has the distinction of being the millionth coin offered by GreatCollections.

The Liberty Head $10 was produced by the U.S. Mint from 1838 to 1907. In 1864, the Philadelphia Mint produced only 50 of these Proofs, of which only about a third are known today. Of those still surviving, at least two are in museums.

The very next lot offered by GreatCollections was an 1864 Liberty Head $20 graded NGC PF-64 Cameo (lot 1000001) that realized $258,750. Like its $10 counterpart, the 1864 Proof Liberty Head $20 also had a mintage of 50, with only a fraction of that number surviving today.

The Liberty Head Double Eagle traces its beginnings to the California Gold Rush of the 1840s, when the U.S. Treasury was receiving a large amount of gold from the mines. In response, Congress authorized the minting of $20 gold coins. The Double Eagle went on to become one the most popular coins in the United States, until it was removed from circulation in the 1930s.

Prices realized include buyer’s premium.

Press release courtesy of the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.

❑

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!