It’s no secret that the $10 gold coins minted at New Orleans are scarce. However, despite their scarcity, some dates appear to be dramatically undervalued.
One date in particular that stands out is the 1895-O $10 gold coin.
The New Orleans Mint struck just 98,000 $10 gold coins in 1895. A minuscule mintage especially when compared to the $10 gold coins minted at Philadelphia.There are several years where the main Mint in Philadelphia struck well over one million $10 gold coins, and some years they even struck more than two million of the $10 gold pieces.
Today, only about 1.5% of the $10 Gold Coins originally struck in 1895, at the New Orleans Mint are known to have survived today in all grades. And just like other $10 gold coins struck in New Orleans, only a small percentage of the surviving population is known in uncirculated grades.
We have recently discovered a small group of 1895-O (New Orleans) $10 gold coins all certified by PCGS in Brilliant Uncirculated MS 61 grade. This is a very exciting find as only 329 coins have been certified by NGC and PCGS combined in MS 61 grade. In fact, the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection’s 1895-O example is also in MS61 grade.
The 1895-O $10 gold coin in MS 61 grade is a phenomenal value. The most common date $10 gold coin available, the 1894 Philadelphia issue, has over 19,000 coins certified in MS 61 grade. This makes the 1895-O nearly 60 times rarer than the 1894 in this grade. However, the 1895-O can be purchased for less than a 50% premium. That’s quite impressive.
You start to understand just how undervalued the 1895-O $10 gold coin is when you compare it to the 1891-CC (Carson City) $10 gold coin.
Both coins are similar in mintage. The 1891-CC has an original mintage of 103,000 coins, and in MS61 grade NGC and PCGS have certified 1,047 coins, which is more than three times the amount of 1895-O $10 gold coins certified in the same grade.
After looking at all the numbers, one would assume that the 1895-O $10 gold coin would be vastly more valuable than the 1891-CC $10 gold coin in MS61. However, that is definitely not the case. The 1891-CC in the same MS 61 grade would cost a collector double the price.
I believe the 1895-O $10 Gold Liberty in MS 61 grade is one of the most undervalued dates in the entire $10 Liberty gold series. For less than a 50% premium over an ultra-common date $10 gold coin, you are getting a truly rare coin that typically carries a much larger price tag.
