A number of non collectors have asked me "what is the rarest coin in the world?". In fact there are many examples of coins which are unique, such as this Eagle, or ten dollar gold proof coin, minted in 1844 at the New Orleans mint (hence the "O" mintmark below the eagle) in the United States of America. The eagle, half eagle ($5) and double eagle ($20) coins were all circulating coins in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however in 1844 at the New Orleans mint only a single proof specimen was produced. Perhaps struck as a presentation piece for a visiting dignatory or as some kind of commemorative, the piece has been a part of some of the worlds most famous coin collections, including the Colonel Green and King Farouk of Egypt collections. Purchased by a Florida collector in 2006 for a reported price of $US1.5 million, it is currently on display at the New Orleans mint. An article on this coin can be found here.
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