1855 Wass Molitor Gold Eagle

Coin Details

Auction Record

$55,200 AU58 01-16-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1855 Wass, Molitor & Company ten-dollar eagle represents the firm’s return to the eagle denomination after a three-year hiatus following the initial 1852 production. The 1855 eagle shows refined die work compared to the 1852 issues, reflecting improvements in the firm’s die-cutting capabilities over the intervening years. By 1855, the San Francisco Mint was operational but had not fully supplanted private coinage in all markets. Wass, Molitor found sufficient demand to justify resuming production across multiple denominations, including this ten-dollar eagle alongside twenty and fifty dollar pieces. The 1855 Wass, Molitor eagle is scarcer than the 1852 eagles, as the second production period was shorter and faced increasing competition from the San Francisco Mint’s expanding output. The firm would not produce coins again after 1855, making this the terminal eagle issue in the Wass, Molitor series.

Rarity Notes

Rare. The 1855 eagle is scarcer than the 1852 versions. Approximately 40-60 examples survive.

Cross References

PCGS #10354; NGC #31150; Wass, Molitor & Co., San Francisco; 1855 second production period