Lot 2728
1921 $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-63. Well struck with lovely golden toning. Popular key date. A date missing from most collections. Treasury Department records indicate that the Philadelphia mint struck slightly more than half a million double eagles in 1921. While it is not know what became of most of these coins (rumors are they were melted), numismatists know that the 1921 is one of the premier rarities in the Saint-Gaudens $20 gold series. To this day, the 1921 compares favorably to the similarly spellbinding 1920-S, although the nod goes to the Philadelphia Mint issue in higher grades in terms of rarity. Approximately half of the known population is in circulated condition.
This beautiful Choice Mint State 63 is well struck on the obverse with a satin-like sheen that yields strong cartwheel luster properties. On the reverse, none of the eagle's feathers are soft, which is most unusual since 1921-dated pieces tend to be weak on the upper wing edges and breast detail. Rich peach-orange to orange-gold colors merge splendidly over the surfaces of both sides. Several tiny abrasions are not unusual for a coin in MS63 grade, but fortunately there are no marks of distinction which require amplification. What does deserve repetition, however, is this date's unusual rarity in the grade. A bidding opportunity for either the double eagle or 20th century gold specialist! Housed in PCGS holder 21895703. Pop 9; 6 finer; 3 in 64; 2 in 65; 1 in 66. (PCGS # 9172) .
Useless bit of trivia: In 1921 two now-forgotten Hollywood movies aired, one titled "Wet Gold" and the other "Mary-Find-The-Gold." Also in 1921, the famous Newmont Mining Company was founded.
Estimated Value $175,000 - 200,000.
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| Realized $218,500 |
