1868 $10 J-661, CAM PR66CAM 认证号31672644, PCGS号60886

David Akers (1975/88)

Description: Obverse. Head of Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Unlike the coronet on the regular issue eagle, this one has small beads as on the regular double eagle. Around the head near the border are 13 stars. Below the bust is the date, 1868. Reverse. A small eagle with raised wings, a shield on its breast, and olive leaves and arrows in its talons, is the central device. Above the eagle's head is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on a scroll. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is near the border and the denomination TEN D. is below the eagle.

Comments: This pattern is reportedly the last work of James B. Longacre. The head of Liberty on the obverse is quite similar to that on the regularly issued three cent nickel piece that was introduced in 1865, and the eagle on the reverse bears a strong resemblance to the eagle on the 1860 pattern half eagle, J-271, that was also designed by Longacre.

According to the Mason and Company auction catalogue of 1870, four pieces were struck, but both the Adams and Woodin pattern book and the Judd pattern book report that only three were struck. At any rate, only three specimens are known today. Two of them are owned by Paramount International Coin Corporation and were obtained from Jr. J.E. Wilkison in 1973. The third specimen was in the Farouk sale but its present whereabouts is unknown to me. Dr. Wilkison purchased his first 1868 eagle from Abe Kosoff in the early 1940's for $5500.00 and obtained the second specimen from the Judd collection in 1962. Judd undoubtedly acquired his piece from the F.C.C. Boyd collection.

Other than the 1954 Farouk sale, there are only four auction records for J-661, all in the 19th Century. Those sales probably represent the three known specimens but it is impossible to tell for certain which of the three specimens came from which sale.