1849 $10 Moffat & Co., "TEN DOL." MS(PCGS#10246)

February 2026 Showcase Auction - The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection Part II

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

23052

Grade

XF45

Price

43,200

Lot Description

A beautiful example of this historic rarity, issued with the magical 1849 date most associated with the California Gold Rush. Rich medium yellow gold with deeper orange-yellow highlights that join the remaining luster around design elements and peripheries. Scattered light marks are seen on both sides. The most significant area of marks on the obverse is seen in the lower right field, behind the head and beneath the bun, though we see subtle hairlines over much of that surface. On the reverse, a few old scratches are seen around the eagle's head, mostly behind it, but they blend in pretty well and few other issues on that side are notable. A very subtle rim bruise at 2 o'clock on the obverse would go unnoticed without significant scrutiny. The visual appeal is excellent overall, aided by a significant degree of remaining frost.<p><p>While plenty of territorial gold coins are relatively common in grades of EF or finer, this is not one of them. Struck early in the Gold Rush by a well trusted outfit, the 1849 $10s coined by Moffat & Company saw abundant circulation, so much so that coins in VG and Fine are not remotely unusual on this issue. While we've offered no fewer than 17 opportunities to buy an 1849 Moffat $5 in our sales since 2014, we've not had a single Moffat $10 of any variety or grade since June 2014. Thomas Elder called this one "Very fine. Very rare." when he sold it in June 1922. It brought $24.50 at that time, its most recent auction appearance. It will bring more today.