1852 $10 Wass, Molitor & Co. Large Head

Weight

16.72 g

Diameter

34 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Gold

Shape

Round

Edge Type

Reeded

Technique

Struck

Front design

Portrait of a woman facing left, wearing a cap.

Back design

Eagle with wings spread, holding arrows and an olive branch.

Year of Minting

1852

Ruler

NA

Mint location

Philadelphia

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Coin alignment

Inscriptions

WASS MOLITOR & CO. | PHILADELPHIA | TEN D. | 1852

Context

: PCGS recognizes the following three major varieties of the 1852 Wass, Molitor & Co. $10 gold pieces: Large Head Small Head Close Date The least rare of these three varieties is the so-called "Large Head" (K-4, listed by Don Kagin as Rarity 5). Kagin's description of this variety as "Short Neck, Pointed Bust, Wide, Uneven Date" is perhaps a more useful attribution tool, but the limited space on the PCGS insert precluded its use. This variety is fairly plentiful in circulated grades, making it one of the more affordable Pioneer gold coins. However, in Mint, this is a true condition-rarity. We know of five demonstrably different Mint State examples that range in grade from NGC MS60 to PCGS MS63. The latter example was hidden for decades in Eric Newman's collection, only to enter the market with great fanfare in 2014. As fine as that piece was, it did not beat the record price for this variety of $145,200, held by a PCGS AU58 piece that sold in 1998.

Rarity

Rare

Coin type

California Gold (1849-1855)

In circulation

NA

Demonetized

No

Marketplace listings

0