Lot 4714
1838 $10 Liberty. NGC graded AU-50. Untoned. Popular type coin. Only 7,200 struck. Some moderate roughness in the fields but mostly avoids the usual circulation marks and rim damage. In 1838 the Eagle was redesigned by Christian Gobrecht, who had been associated with the Mint for a long time, and who in September 1835 had been hired full-time as second engraver, taking over the work of Chief Engraver William Kneass, after he had been incapacitated by a stroke.
The new style, variously called the Braided Hair, Coronet, or Liberty Head motif, featured a small head of Liberty with her hair styled compactly and no longer wearing a cap. The hair is tied in a bun with a string of beads. She is crowned by a coronet inscribed LIBERTY in raised letters. Thirteen stars surround the border, and the date is below. The Liberty Head motif by Gobrecht underwent several transitions, the first and most noticeable of which came in 1839, and a study of the various forms becomes quite informative. Pop 9; 16 finer. (PCGS # 8575) .
Estimated Value $11,000 - 12,000.
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| Realized $10,925 |
