A $20 1854-O New Orleans type one double eagle led a sale of US coins at Heritage Auctions in Long Beach on June 8, achieving $381,875.
Very few double eagles were made in New Orleans in 1854, as the newly opened San Francisco Mint became the main centre of production.
 The 1854 $20 was one of a small number produced in New Orleans that year |
There are just 16 known examples graded AU50 or higher out of 21 in total.
This AU55 graded specimen was last auctioned 40 years ago and is in exceptional condition, marred only by some minor contact marks and a light scratch across the obverse.
An AU58 graded 1849 Moffat & Co $16 gold ingot made $199,750.
Moffat & Co was founded in California during the early days of the gold rush and quickly gained a solid reputation as an assayer and smelter - helped along by a personal recommendation from the secretary to the US treasury.
The ingots they produced range in value from a few dollars up to around $264. There are only 15-20 known examples of $16 ingots, with this considered one of the finest extant.
A PR67-graded 1912 Saint Gaudens proof double eagle was another highlight, selling for $193,875.
The lot is one of 74 struck for the year, of which 40-50 are known to have survived.
We have a wide range of rare coins available to purchase.
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