1839 Proof Liberty Head Eagle - 1839/8, Type of 1838

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The 1839 Proof Liberty Head Eagle - 1839/8, Type of 1838 is a proof Gold Eagle struck at the Philadelphia Mint, part of the Liberty Head Eagles 1838-1907 series. This is an overdate variety — the 1839 date was punched over a die originally dated 1838. In the early U.S. Mint, dies were expensive to produce, so rather than discard a die engraved with the previous year's date, Mint workers would punch the new date digits over the old ones. The traces of the original date remain visible under magnification. The figure of 5 is an estimate rather than a Mint count: proof mintages were not recorded before 1858, so it is the number of 1839/8, Type of 1838 proofs believed struck. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons. Minted during the age of Jacksonian democracy and the rise of the common man, as new branch mints opened in Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans. As a proof issue, this coin was struck multiple times on specially prepared polished planchets using polished dies, producing mirror-like fields and frosted design elements. Struck in 90% gold, 10% copper, weighing 16.72 grams, 27 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Cataloged as PCGS #8771.