Owner Comments:
There are an estimated 14 - 17 of this date known in AU. Thus, the 1857-O no motto eagle is in the rarest group (Group 1) of no motto New Orleans eagles, being third of the three in this group, behind the very rare 1859-O and the 1841-O and closer in rarity to Group Two (for example the 1849-O and 1856-O have an estimated 15 - 19 known in AU and above).
The 1857-O eagle certifications at AU58: PCGS 6/0 NGC 17/0, but very inflated due to resubmissions -- "oh if I could only get this one to mint state it would be the finest known". But, alas, every reattempt out there has failed! Most of these resubmissions occured since 2002, when there were only 6 NGC AU58 coins, as you can tell from the Heritage 1857-O eagle listing 2/02 Lot #6869. Interesting, only eight pieces in total were AU58 in 8/01 (source: Heritage 1/02 Lot #8249) , so that is probably closer to the total in existance.
The PCGS AU58 piece in the Lousiana Purchase has the Harry Bass pedigree (Stacks 10/84: 1182; Heritage 5/05 Lot 8777), is easily identifiable by a small mint-made planchet defect through the 85 in the date. It starts in the lower "O" of the 8 and goes up diagonally to the beginning of the left side of the 7. The piece shows typically abraded surfaces but has a good deal of surviving mint luster on the obverse between the stars and more on the reverse. It has nice detail for the issue -- for example, the stars are less flat than normal. Only stars one and thirteen have no signs of radial lines.
The piece is from the Pinnacle Collection and plated on Page 161 of the Winter book on New Orleans gold.
The 1857-O eagle is currently unknown in Uncirculated (there are no certified, as mentioned). The finest known, a very high end PCGS AU58, recently sold at auction for $40,250. While the Lousiana purchase piece is not as nice as that one, it is a very attractive example, probably one of the 3 or 4 finest known of this rare issue.