For many years, the rumored existence of the 1844-O Proof eagle only added to its mystique. The late Texas dealer Mike Brownlee heard about the coin in the 1950s while working for the legendary B. Max Mehl, who searched for the coin his entire numismatic life. His search ended in 1994 when he was finally able to purchase the 1844-O Proof eagle for an undisclosed amount. The last auction appearance of the 1844-O Proof half eagle was in the sale of the King Farouk collection. Abe Kosoff sold the coin in 1959, and it now resides in a private collection.
| coinage-type | Liberty head gold eagle |
| desg | PR |
| designer | Christian Gobrecht |
| diameter | 27 |
| edge | Reeded |
| fineness | 0.9 |
| material | 90% gold; 10% copper |
| mint-mark | O |
| mintage | unique |
| obverse-description | Christian Gobrecht's portrait of Liberty is surrounded by 13 stars with the date centered at the bottom. |
| pcgs-link | 8803 |
| pcgs-number | 8803 |
| reverse-description | Heraldic eagle holding arrows and branch in its claws is centered in the design with the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA * FIVE D. around the periphery. Mintmark (if any) is located under the eagle's claws. |
| variety | Branch Mint |
| weight-grams | 16.718 |
| weight-ounces | 0.48375 |
| year-display | 1838-1866 |