1849 Pattern Double Eagle" One-Ounce .999 Gold, Ultra Cameo Gem Proof NGC. "Smithsonian Collection" Private issue struck 2009.
 
AN EXTREMELY LIMITED MINTAGE – Only one piece from the original mintage survives, and just 500 gold pieces were authorized in this reproduction, meaning that just a handful of fortunate collectors will even get the opportunity to own this remarkable round.
 
 
One-of-a-Kind Coin Gets New Life Through a Smithsonian-Licensed Re-Strike!
 
Manifest Destiny ran strong in the mid-19th century, and the California Gold Rush fueled American expansion in a way that nothing else could. So dramatic was its effect that California is today by far the largest state in the union by population. The Gold Rush created a unique problem for the U.S. government, namely that too much gold was arriving at the Philadelphia Mint. In response to the issue, Congress issued the first ever double eagle, which began production as proof in late 1849.
 
Only one such coin survives today, and it is housed within the fabled halls of the Smithsonian®, and is believed to be one of the most valuable U.S. coins in existence! It’s the Holy Grail for collectors, but the Smithsonian isn’t letting go – not even when J.P. Morgan himself offered up a fortune for the piece – nearly a million dollars in modern currency.
 
No one will ever own the 1849 Double Eagle Pattern – but thanks to special permission from the Smithsonian, you can take home a beautiful 1849 Longacre Double Eagle Pattern Proof. The only proof officially authorized by the Smithsonian, these pieces come struck in a full ounce of 99.9% gold, certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC ) as being in Ultra Cameo (UC) Gem Proof condition.
 
Rarity is one of the most appealing qualities of a coin or round to serious collectors, and it doesn't get any rarer than a single surviving piece. That one, of course, is not for sale because it is owned by the Smithsonian. You can't own the original, but you CAN own the next best thing: An extremely limited reproduction from a mintage of just 500 gold pieces.
For collectors who want something that just about nobody else has, opportunities like this almost never come around. Don’t miss your chance to own the proof that J.P. Morgan never could and secure yours now!
 
FEATURING THE ORIGINAL DESIGN – This proof features the original designs of James Longacre. The designs were modified for future double eagles but retain an important place in American numismatic history.
 
STRUCK IN HIGHLY-PURE GOLD – Each of the proofs in this mintage was struck in an ounce of 99.9% fine gold.
 
STUNNING PROOF FINISH – Your Smithsonian One-Ounce Gold 1849 Double Eagle Re-Strike has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in Ultra Cameo (UC) Gem Proof condition, meaning it was expertly crafted by the mint from hand-selected planchets, polished dies and multiple strikes to produce beautifully frosted details rising over mirror-like fields.
 
 
Following the United States Coinage act of 1849, famed sculptor James B. Longacre was tasked with designing a gold coin with a $20 denomination-the highest at the time-to facilitate the nation's growing economic expansion. This coin was pivotal to the United States' economic success from 1840 until it was replaced by the Saint Gaudens double eagle in 1907.
 
Highlights:
Ships individually sealed in an NGC coin holder and presentation box
Consisting of 1 oz 999 Fine Gold
Obverse: Features a depiction of the US Presidential Seal with an American Eagle behind a shield, clutching an olive branch and 13 arrows along with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," and "DOUBLE EAGLE"
Reverse: Features Longacre's rendition of a left-facing Lady Liberty, wearing a coronet with the inscription "LIBERTY" surrounded by thirteen stars, indicative of the nation's thirteen original colonies
This coin was struck in 2009 with the 1849 design