Owner Comments:
Along with the 1844-O, this date is #17 of 21 in rarity of no motto New Orleans eagles, and has an even larger mintage of 175,162. Thus, it is more common that the preceding two dates. However, there are an estimated 31 - 36 known in AU and MS, so it is not that much more rare than the 1842-O. In uncirculated, it is an extremely rare issue with only one known to grade higher than MS62 (at MS62 PCGS 2/0 NGC 3/1), and that piece is known to have poor eye appeal.
This piece is the second finest known of the issue, and is one of the most significant No Motto New Orleans eagles to come on the market in 2007. This piece was new to the market, discovered in the Deep South. It is wonderfully original and, in the opinion of an expert, very conservatively graded with the naked-eye appearance of an MS63.
This 1843-O Eagle has splendid thick, frosty luster below delightful green-gold and pale orange color. The luster reminds me of S issues of this era. The date is neat and delicate, unlike the 1844-O Eagle. If you know the New Orleans eagle series, you know that many 1843-O’s are quite weak on the curls surrounding Liberty’s ear. This piece is fully defined in this area and it shows remarkable definition on both sides. One the reverse, a late stage die crack extends from the base of the shield, through the bottoms of the arrows, down through the lower side of the second "A" in AMERICA to the denticles and rim.
As mentioned, there is just one 1843-O eagle that has been graded higher than this: an NGC MS64 which brought $58,650 in the 2006 ANA auction. While that piece was certainly impressive, it was not as fresh and original as this example. This coin is also nicer than the Pinnacle/Bass PCGS MS61 piece, which was originally in this collection until it was traded out for the current piece.
This eagle is a highlight of the Louisiana Purchase No Motto Eagle set.