#1 Capped Bust $10 Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History

The Coinage Act of 1792 authorized the minting of United States coins. The first gold coins were minted in 1795. This included the first and largest gold coin of the time, the Capped Bust ten dollar gold piece. It is referred to as an “Eagle” as a shorthand term for a ten dollar gold coin. It was minted in 22 karat fine gold or a composition of .9167 gold with the remainder being silver and copper in order to provide durability. The coin weighs 17.5 grams and is 33 mm in diameter. This first ten dollar gold piece was minted in Philadelphia from 1795 until 1804, (there would not be any further minting of ten dollar gold coins until 1838). In fact, the Capped Bust series only existed for a total of nine years in that there was no mintage in 1802. The shortness of the series and the fact that so few were minted since few people could afford to own this large gold coin at the time, means that the Capped Bust Eagle coin is a rarity and quite valuable in any condition. Not many collectors today can afford to own one of these rare coins, but many strive to have at least a single example in their collection. Only very wealthy patrons of the hobby even attempt to collect these coins.

The obverse or front of the coin displays a bust of Liberty wearing a large cap. Fifteen stars representing the number of states that existed at that time surround Liberty’s image. On the back of the coin or reverse, there is a rather “skinny” eagle with wings outstretched, standing on a branch and holding a wreath in its beak. This design lasted until 1797 when later in that same year the reverse design was changed to a more robust, heraldic eagle with a shield on its chest. This newly designed eagle has a ribbon in its beak with the motto, “E Pluribus Unum”. It is holding arrows in one talon and a branch in the other. Thirteen stars appear above the eagle representing the original thirteen colonies. The stars on the obverse of the coin were also reduced from fifteen to thirteen. No denomination appears on the coin.

Value

Since all of the Capped Bust ten dollar coins are rare, the key factors in determining their value are condition and unique variety. Virtually all coins in this series are worth approximately ten thousand dollars or more in only fine condition. They soar to between $65,000 and $500,000 in high mint state. A 1797 small eagle variety in high mint state sold for almost $450,000 in 2007. A 1795 variety with 13 leaves below the eagle sold for over $880,000 in high mint state. Finally, there is an extremely rare 1804 “plain four” proof restrike variety of which only four are known to exist that is worth in excess of four million dollars.

Because there are so many varied opinions on the condition (or grade) of a coin, the values mentioned reflect the highest retail prices that have been obtained for those coins that have been assessed by a third party grading company. Such coins have been authenticated, graded and encapsulated by expert coin grading companies to minimize any doubt as to their authenticity, quality and value and therefore their potential worth.

We Buy Capped Bust Ten Dollar Gold Coins

We want to buy your coins and as a business it is our pledge to offer you the best value for your coins, however, always remember that the prices you may find online or in price guides usually represent the highest retail value for the coin in an already certified condition. As a trusted dealer we will have our coin specialists evaluate your coins at no cost and offer you a price that is both fair for you, but that also allows us to realize a reasonable profit.