1852 U.S. Assay Office Gold Eagle

Coin Details

Auction Record

$66,000 MS63 04-28-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1852 U.S. Assay Office gold eagle is a standard-denomination ten-dollar coin produced under the formal authority of the reconstituted federal assay operation. This coin represents the Assay Office’s transition from producing only the massive octagonal fifty-dollar slugs to offering denominations more suitable for everyday commercial use. The design features a Liberty Head obverse and heraldic eagle reverse following the conventions of contemporary federal coinage, making the piece immediately familiar to merchants accustomed to Philadelphia Mint products. The U.S. Assay Office inscription confirmed federal backing and distinguished these pieces from purely private issues. The eagle denomination was critical to California’s commercial infrastructure. While the fifty-dollar slugs served wholesale and banking needs, eagles were the workhorses of retail trade, used for purchasing supplies, paying miners, and settling accounts at hotels and general stores.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The 1852 Assay Office eagle is more available than the slug denominations but remains a notable territorial gold rarity. Approximately 100-150 examples survive.

Cross References

PCGS #10001; NGC #31105; U.S. Assay Office of Gold, San Francisco