1797 $10

Mine is certainly not MS63 (alas...) but the 1797 $10 Small Eagle is one of my favorite coins. The price guides are hard to peg for these as indeed there are probably 25-30 left and auction appearances are few and far between. As much as I do like it, I think this ebay auction is overreaching.

Anyway, here are a couple pictures of mine. I hope you enjoy!





Also, to give a bit of color around my mentality to collecting - I've cracked this coin out of it's slab. *pause for gasps* I did question my sanity when deciding to crack it out, but I just couldn't stand to see it imprisoned in plastic. Feeling the heft of a $10 gold piece is stunning and I doubt many collectors will have ever held a coin like this (albeit cautiously!) in their bare hands. I appreciate the benefits of plastic but if I don't intend to sell a coin for many, many years, I prefer to keep it more accessible (in an Air-Tite) - that way, when it does come time to slab it, I'll be able to get the latest and greatest in slabbing (Secure Plus Plus Squared by then I imagine).

Seconded! An 18th century capped bust gold piece was always my ultimate dream coin, and it saddens me no end to think that, in this day and age, it's almost inconceivable to expect to acquire one that hasn't been suffocated in a plastic tomb. Unless, of course, SmallEagle knows where such fine gold can be obtained raw, or if he (or she) is willing to part with one of his own marvelous examples!

The actual ebay fees would only be $105 or so depending on what features he used in the listing. There is a final value fee cap of $100. Paypal would be where the really big fees are coming from since they have no cap. It actually would end up being cheaper than an auction house if it were sold on ebay, with the total fees between paypal and ebay at less than 3% of the sell price.

I have no words for that coin smalleagle, absolutely amazing!
If I were to purchase this coin (401k dumped, stocks dumped, my entire collection sold, car sold, etc..etc...), delivery through the mail, UPS, FED EX, would not be an option. Only an armoured truck with the most experienced guards would do.
Then there's the question of, where do I keep it?

Thanks! And, you can always keep it as a pocket piece if you've sold everything but your last pair of pants... although I wouldn't recommend it

Bless you, SmallEagle, for freeing so many great coins from their plastic hell. You're the Oskar Schindler of numismatics! You're missing out on the experience of rating and vetting a coin yourself, though. Risky, sure, but is life worth living without a little risk?

Just awesome! I owned a Moffat & Co. 1850 $5 once, and very foolishly sold it years ago.
That is a decision I have regretted to this day. I am currently looking for a replacement.