Lot 1641
1856-S $10 Liberty. NGC graded AU-58 CAC Approved. Well struck and fully lustrous, untoned. In an old style NGC holder. A lustrous example of an early S-mint Liberty No Motto Eagle! The frosty surfaces are afire with bright volatile luster that looks as though it would like nothing better than to explode with a loud bang. Well struck for the date and easily matching or surpassing others in this AU58 status. We note a few random marks on the portrait and others in the field on both sides consistent with this gold Eagle issue of the period, where these received a hard workout in circulation in an area of the far West where "promised money" or money substitutes in the form of currency, weren’t allowed or were rigidly frowned upon by the hard-money populace. Pop 55; 3 in 61.
Historic Note: In the 1850s, the histories reveal that the fast growing city of San Francisco was a rough and tumble place. There had been an economic crisis in 1851. With robbers running the streets and political skullduggery deeply embedded in city government, between 1851 and 1856 the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance acted on numerous occasions in response to rampant crime and corruption in the municipal government of San Francisco, California. At its height in 1856, the year this 1856-S gold Eagle was struck, Committee members lynched two gangsters and arrested most of the Democratic Party officials! In all, these militias hanged eight people and forced several elected officials to resign. Each Committee of Vigilance formally relinquished power after three months. It disbanded itself on August 18, 1856.
Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,400.
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| Realized $8,338 |
