1882

The 1882 ten-dollar eagle stands as a workhorse issue from one of the most productive years in the With Motto series, with a circulation mintage in the neighborhood of 2,324,440 pieces. That figure dwarfed the output of every branch facility that year and reflected the Treasury's appetite for large gold coinage during the bimetallism debates of the early 1880s. Where the contemporary Carson City and New Orleans eagles trickled out in the low thousands, this Philadelphia issue rolled off the presses as bulk monetary metal, much of it shipped overseas in commercial settlement bags rather than entering domestic circulation.

For the modern collector, that history shapes everything. Survivors are plentiful through About Uncirculated, and lower Mint State pieces appear at most major shows without much hunting. Quality, however, separates a routine purchase from a genuinely pleasing example. Strikes are usually crisp on the central devices, but bag marks across Liberty's open cheek and the eagle's shield are the chief grading hurdle, and many examples carry the green-gold European-hoard toning common to repatriated Philadelphia eagles. Above MS63 the population thins quickly, and gem-quality coins with original surfaces remain genuinely scarce despite the enormous mintage. Authentication on this date is rarely controversial, but the standard checks still apply: confirm the 16.718-gram weight and 27 mm diameter, look for the cartwheel luster characteristic of struck (not cast) pieces, and inspect the rim and dentils for the seam or granular texture that betrays a cast counterfeit. Any softness in the recessed areas of the shield or unusually mushy stars warrants a second look.

Within a date set, the 1882 Philadelphia is the entry point, the date most collectors acquire first while saving their budget for the 1882-CC and the conditionally rare 1882-O. As a type coin it is hard to beat: an attractive AU58 trades close to bullion-plus, while a problem-free MS62 offers genuine eye appeal at a modest premium. Heritage and Stack's Bowers move multiple examples per year through their gold sessions, and price guides reflect a market that hews tightly to spot for circulated pieces and rewards originality at the gem level. For broader context on the design's full arc from 1838 through 1907, see the Liberty Head Eagle series history.