Lot 1611
1872-S $20 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-61. Light gold toning on both sides. Choice or better at first glance. Closer scrutiny reveals some light hairlines over fully vibrant, friendly frosty fields. There is a hint of warm toning on both sides. Although the mintage of this date is somewhat sizeable (it being 190,000 pieces), the surviving Mint State population is small: Pop 20; 3 finer in 62. (PCGS # 8965) .
Events during 1872 were pretty much akin to what took place in 1998-2000, at least in the world of finances. The "cheap money" which arose out of the American Civil War enabled savvy investors to buy up railroads and other companies, then inflate their stock and bond prices. A building boom accompanied the stock boom; railroad mileage grew by leaps and bounds; land speculation was rife.
In the political cauldron associated with this cheap money, all sorts of interesting things were brewing underneath the surface of the Grant administration. The Credit Mobilier scandal came frothing to a head. And the waves were still sloshing through Wall Street from Fisk and Gould's 1869 corner of the gold market. Meanwhile, out West, four powerful men were divvying up the state of California into political fiefdoms. Amid such churning and industrial growth, this delightful 1872 San Francisco Double Eagle entered the world. One wonders what stories it would tell if only it could speak?
Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,300.
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| Realized $5,175 |
