The Liberty Cap Eagle coin with an original value in 1795 of $10 is listed under various other names. You may find it as the 1795 Draped Bust Small Eagle, the Turban Head Eagle, or the Capped Bust Eagle. The designation “eagle” represented $10 or ten $1 coins when minted. The U.S. Mint discontinued production of eagle coins in 1933.

History of the Liberty Cap Eagle

When people began coming to America, the standard trading coins came with them from all different countries. These remained the coins of choice until The Mint Act of 1792 established the U.S. standard of coinage. The first Liberty Cap Eagle was minted in 1795 but was not the first coin minted in the new system. It was designed by Robert Scot who was the chief engraver. The national bird, an eagle with its wings wide spread, was chosen for the reverse side of the 1795 coin. The original production included just 13,344 eagles of this type between the dates of 1795 and 1797. That is one of the reasons the 1795 Liberty Cap Eagle is so rare. Originally this coin was composed of 92% gold and 8% silver and copper and weighed 17.5 grams.

Grading of Coins

The Numismatic Guaranty Corporation is a very valuable third-party grading service that is highly esteemed by both collectors and traders. The rarity of a coin is easily established, but the condition of the coin is harder to determine. The original grading scale was very simple. It consisted of three variables: “good” if the surface was worn, but the details were still distinguishable; “fine” if details were less worn and a little of the mint luster was still showing; and, “uncirculated” if the coin appeared to be in nearly as fine a shape as it was when it left the mint. Dr. William Sheldon later developed the Sheldon Scale that runs from 1 to 70 in a much finer determination of the condition of coins. The top grading is 60-70 and indicates mint state (MS). Coins graded from 50-59 are described as about uncirculated (AU).

Value of the 1795 Liberty Cap Eagle

If this coin has been graded by NGC with a 60 designation, the base price presently is $123,500. If the grading is 64 it is at $552,500 and if 65, it is valued at $1,105,000. It is easy to tell why grading is so important. It is listed as one of the top 10 gainers in value over the last 5 years by Professional Coin Grading Service at grades 65 and 66. The 1795 graded 66 has increased 100% over the last five years and today’s price on that web site is $1,500,000. The same coin graded 35 has decreased in value over the last five years and is now worth $44,000. Even the gold content of the coins has ballooned over the last year. Gold futures are presently hovering around $1780 per ounce on the commodities market. Many people are not interested in dealing with commodities markets, but they are potential buyers of rare gold coins.

Ways to Preserve and Clean a Coin

One of the safe ways to preserve a coin is to place it in an airtight container. Cleaning a coin must be handled with care to avoid scratching the surface and is best done with a soft toothbrush and a recommended cleaner. Purchasing a cleaning product from a company that specializes in coin cleaning supplies is ideal. One handy product for removing surface dirt is MS70. Be sure to wear protective gloves as this solution may dry your hands.

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