1855 Fairmont Collection Coins

Tensions in the United States were coming to a boil in the 1850s. The issue of slavery continued to be a major source of tension between the North and the South. The debate over slavery’s expansion into new territories and states further intensified, setting the stage for the larger conflicts and events that would eventually lead to the American Civil War. At the same time, the mid-19th century saw significant growth in railroad construction. In 1855, several railroads expanded their networks, contributing to the westward expansion of the United States and facilitating transportation and trade. One of the key pieces of expanding American trade was the US Eagle denomination of gold coins.

1855 Fairmont Liberty Head Eagles

In the mid-1850s, production of $10 Liberty Head Eagles was beginning to slow at the United States Mint. After the explosion of gold into the US Treasury in the late 1840s following the California Gold Rush, production numbers started to fall in 1854, even as the US Mint expanded the footprint of its Liberty Gold Eagle production.

In 1855, $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagles with Christian Gobrecht’s depiction of Lady Liberty and the heraldic eagle were struck by three branch mints. The Philadelphia Mint lead the way on production with 121,701 coins struck. The New Orleans Mint issued an additional 18,000 coins, with the new San Francisco Mint striking just 9,000 coins in its second year of operation.