1846-O

The New Orleans Mint struck 58,000 Liberty Head half eagles in 1846, recovering from the 41,000-coin floor of 1845-O before climbing back into the hundreds of thousands by 1847. Gold flowed in from two main channels that year: domestic deposits routed through the busy Gulf port and Mexican bullion arriving by coastal trade. The May 1846 declaration of war with Mexico unsettled some of that southern bullion flow during the second half of the year, which helps explain why this figure sits well below the 1844-O total of 364,600. The coin uses Christian Gobrecht's Coronet portrait paired with the heraldic eagle, with the O mintmark below the eagle on the reverse.

This is a Semi-Key date, and the authentication checks reflect the small mintage and limited survival pool. Genuine examples weigh 8.359 grams on a 21.6 mm planchet of 0.900 fine gold with a reeded edge. Confirm the weight first; underweight pieces are an immediate red flag. The most common deception is an added O mintmark applied to a Philadelphia 1846 host, so study the mintmark under magnification: an authentic O sits cleanly with consistent metal flow into the surrounding field, while added marks usually show a faint join line or a font that does not match the period. Strike weakness is normal here, especially on the high points of Liberty's hair and the eagle's right side. Distinguish that softness from honest wear by checking whether luster carries across the weak areas; a soft strike still shows mint frost in the recesses, while wear leaves the metal smooth.

PCGS estimates a surviving population in the rough range of 250 to 400 coins, mostly in Fine through Extremely Fine. About Uncirculated examples draw a meaningful premium, and Mint State pieces are genuinely scarce, with population reports thinning sharply above MS61. Recent auction results put problem-free AU coins in the four-figure range, with select AU58 examples climbing past $5,000 at Heritage and Stack's Bowers sales, while MS62 and finer can reach the low five figures. For a New Orleans half eagle date set, 1846-O is one of the harder slots to fill in attractive condition, sitting just behind 1842-O and 1845-O in difficulty. For background on the broader type, see our Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.