Lot 2712
1926-D $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-62 PQ. Light orange gold with full luster, typical of a Denver Mint issue. Minor strike weakness is noted at 12:00 on the obverse and 6:00 on the reverse. A small tick mark is present in the central portion of Liberty's gown. Small patches of a lemon yellow iridescence are noted randomly and add to the eye appeal and originality of this choice example.
When David Akers wrote about this issue in 1988, he stated "In every respect except one, the 1926-D is virtually identical in rarity to the 1925-S. (The one area in which they differ is that the 1925-S is often seen in circulated condition whereas the 1926-D is nearly always seen only in Mint State.)" Today, the tide has shifted a bit in favor of the 1926-D. With regards to overall rarity, today the 1926-D is theoretically twice as rare as the 1925-S. The combined total graded at PCGS/NGC of the 1926-D is 270 coins while the 1925-S has a combined total of 556. With regards to conditional rarity, Akers observation that the '25-S is most often seen in circulated grades while the '26-D is seen in mint state still is quite accurate in the sense that the larger number of circulated 1925-S issues accounts for the larger total population of the '25-S. In mint state, the '25-S and '26-D actually have a very similar break down in each grade from MS-60 to MS-64 with the '25-S existing in higher superb gem grades than the '26-D. Population of 54 with 59 finer (PCGS # 9184) .
Estimated Value $13,000 - 14,000.
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| Realized $20,988 |
