A Rare 'Reconstruction Era' Three Coin Set

1870s "Reconstruction Era" Gold Liberty Set

This month, we are featuring a three-coin U.S. Gold Liberty set of $2.5, $5 and $10 coins from the 1870s “Reconstruction Era.” If you are an avid follower of our Spotlight program, you will remember we offered you the $20 Gold Liberty ‘‘Reconstruction Era’’ coin back in February. This is the perfect way to complete (or start) your collection of that era in one purchase! 

Coins from this era are exceedingly more rare than their 1880-1907 counterparts. Most importantly, they come at a fraction of the increased premium price we normally expect to see from coins with this level of rarity. Take advantage of the market's oversight. Buy this set at low premium while they last!

 HISTORY

The 1870s marked a transition period for the United States. When the decade began, America was still healing and rebuilding from the Civil War. The era of Reconstruction was still in progress; it took until the late 1870s to fully reunite the nation and restore the Southern economy. 

In the West, the country was expanding rapidly—but not without its share of difficulty. Events like the Battle of the Little Bighorn highlighted the tension between Western settlers and Native Americans. The United States was becoming more powerful economically, but still experiencing setbacks like the Financial Panic of 1873. In a nutshell, the 100-year-old country was still encountering growing pains.

From a numismatic standpoint, the 1870s are remembered for strong production of coins in copper, nickel and silver—but relatively little in gold. As the country’s population expanded, the need for everyday “pocket change” coins increased tremendously. Denominations like copper pennies and nickel five-cent pieces were used (and produced) extensively. In addition, thanks to powerful Nevada mining lobbyists, Morgan Silver Dollars were also struck in massive quantities. 

United States gold coins, meanwhile, saw modest production. The California Gold Rush had subsided and other mining regions, like the Appalachians, had seemingly run dry. Putting aside supply issues, demand for U.S. gold coins was extremely low in the 1870s. In 1875, for instance, the Philadelphia Mint struck a miniscule number of gold coins.

As the table above demonstrates, demand for U.S. gold coins was quite healthy before the Civil War broke out in 1861. In 1875, with the country still reeling from the Panic of 1873, the Philadelphia Mint all but halted gold coin production. While the 1875 mintage figures are an extreme example, they provide some indication of how few gold coins were needed during this era. The turbulent economic conditions of the 1870s resulted in restrained production of gold coinage.

Conditions changed immensely in the 1880s and 1890s. The United States entered a phrase of rapid economic growth and industrialization—often referred to as the “Gilded Age.” America’s railroad network more than doubled in size, the country surpassed Great Britain in manufacturing output, and American inventions like the light bulb achieved worldwide success. With this explosive economic growth came a gigantic increase in the production of gold coinage.

Put simply, United States gold coins from the 1870s are in a completely different rarity class compared to issues in the 1880s and later. This is evident not only from the original mintage figures, but also from PCGS and NGC population data. These reports demonstrate a massive divide in rarity between gold coins struck before and after 1880. 

Although 1870s-era gold coins are extremely scarce as a whole, a few dates remain shockingly affordable. After researching current market values and population data, we discovered a small number of undervalued “sleeper” dates. These coins are anywhere from up to 3 to 104 times rarer than the most common dates, yet they trade for less than double the price of the most common issue! These dates represent the best opportunity:  

 THE OFFER

After months of accumulating these drastically undervalued dates, we were able to assemble a limited number of three-coin sets. Each set contains an 1870s-era $2.50 Liberty Quarter Eagle, $5 Liberty Half Eagle and $10 Liberty Eagle. Every coin is graded by PCGS or NGC and is personally screened by us for quality and eye appeal. The About Uncirculated sets contain coins graded AU50 or better, while the Uncirculated sets contain pieces graded MS61 or better.  

Each Quarter Eagle is at least 3x rarer than the most common date, the Half Eagles are all at least 23x rarer, and the Eagles are at least 40x rarer. To reiterate, these coins are many times more rare than the generic date, yet sell for less than double the price! 

We believe these sets represent an outstanding opportunity for all buyers. If you own the 1870s ‘Reconstruction Era’ $20 gold Double Eagles, these three-coin sets mesh beautifully with your existing holding. Whether you’re making your initial numismatic purchase, or adding to an existing portfolio, we encourage you to act quickly. We have just 24 sets and we do not expect them to last long!  

1870s Reconstruction Era $20 Gold Double Eagle Set

(14) AU sets - Please call for pricing & product availability

(10) Uncirculated sets - Please call for pricing & availability

 Call 800-831-0007 to add the 1870s Reconstruction Era set to your portfolio today.

 *Prices listed include shipping, handling and insurance, but prices are subject to change due to market fluctuation and product availability.