1866 Liberty Head $10 Gold Eagle

1866 Liberty Head $10 gold eagles are scarce coins and represent a significant year for the series, as that was then the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added above the eagle on the reverse of the coin. This modification would also mark the last of three for the series, and would therefore remain unchanged for the duration of the type, which ended in 1907. These beloved old U.S. gold coins were designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht, who designed Seated Liberty coinage, which was struck from the late 1830s through early 1890s and remains popular with numismatists nowadays.

1866 $10 gold eagle coins contain 0.4806 ounces of gold and are highly valued by bullion investors for their intrinsic metal content. However, these coins are also treasured as numismatic collectibles and are worth far more than their gold content alone. Here’s a glance at the 1866 Liberty Head gold eagle $10 coin mintage figures and values:

• 1866-S no motto, 8,500; $5,000

• 1866 motto, 3,780; $2,138

• 1866-S motto, 11,500; $3,608

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine 20.

All 1866 $10 gold eagles are considered scarce, though the 1866-S with motto $10 gold eagle has the upper hand on rarity these days, which may surprise some who will point out that coin’s higher overall mintage. In fact, the mintages listed above are much higher than the existing population figures for any of these coins. This is widely the case for all pre-1933 U.S. gold coins, which have been melted in huge numbers over the years.