Owner Comments:
The 1846-O is 10th of 21 in overall rarity (No Motto New Orleans Eagles) and 8th in high grade, similar to the 49, 56, 52, and 55. AU55 and above are extremely rare (AU 58 PCGS 0/1 NGC 4/1 with only two uncirculated).
The 1846-O eagle is among the most interesting New Orlaens gold coins of any donomination due to the many major varieties known, and this collection has three of the varieties. Doug Winter's book lists four varieties and suggests that the "overdate" is really not a true overdate but just an interesting variety.
The PCGS AU55 (Overdate, Winter Variety 3) listed here was previously in an NGC AU58 holder and is probably the fourth nicest in the condition census. It is from the Pinnacle Collection and plated in Doug Winter's book on page 136. It was obtained along with a Variety One PCGS AU53 example (see Jefferson's Change collection). The collection also has a Winter Variety Four (overdate) NGC AU53 that is rare in AU50 and above.
From Winter, "In two decades of actively buying and selling New Orleans gold coinage, I can not recall having seen more than three or four “nice” examples of this date. There were two amazing 1846-O eagles in the Bass collection (a PCGS MS64 and a PCGS MS62 now in an NGC MS63 holder) and an MS62 was found in the S.S. Republic treasure (not in the NGC census for some reason). Other than those three coins, this example is just about the best that exists for this date. It is choice for the grade and lustrous with good color and reasonably unbraided surfaces." The date is very, very thick particularly the "4", although the stars are just fine. The date has the aforementioned dot inside the "6", and is thus Winter Variety Three ("overdate").