One (1) 10 dollar coin, proof
United States, 1840
Obverse Image: Left facing Liberty with hair tied in a bun and wearing a coronet. 13 stars around.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1840
Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TEN D.
U.S. Mint engraver Christian Gobrecht altered his Liberty head slightly in mid-1839. Previously, the Liberty's head had been tilted slightly forward. After that, the head was completely vertical: Liberty looks straight ahead rather than slightly down. Thus amended, the Gobrecht designs graced the eagle for the remainder of the 19th century and the first few years of the 20th. This single proof eagle is the only one known for the year 1840.
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