1880 Liberty Head $10 Gold Eagle

1880 Liberty Head $10 gold eagles are mildly challenging coins for collectors to find, given the fact that relatively few of these coins still exist today. These classic, beautiful old U.S. gold coins were designed by Christian Gobrecht, who was the third chief engraver of the United States Mint and oversaw the production of several new coin designs during his tenure. Notably, he designed Seated Liberty coins, which were generally struck from the late 1830s through early 1890s and are considered a classic with numismatists nowadays.

1880 $10 gold eagle coins contain 0.4806 ounces of gold, but they are much more important as numismatic treasures than simply bullion coins. Here’s a look at the values and mintages of the 1880 Liberty Head gold eagle $10 coin:

• 1880, 1,644,876 minted; $1,478

• 1880-CC, 11,190; $2,700

• 1880-O, 9,200; $2,314

• 1880-S, 506,250; $1,478

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine 20.

The mintages listed above are quite a bit higher than the surviving populations, and for that reason 1880 gold eagles are scarce by today’s standards. This is typical for pre-1933 U.S. gold coinage, which was melted in large numbers, leaving many dates particularly difficult for coin collectors to find. While it’s advisable to buy certified pre-1933 U.S. gold coins instead of “raw” coins, individuals who prefer unslabbed 1880 Liberty Head gold eagle coins should only buy them from trusted coin dealers.