Lot 2563
1853 U.S. Assay Office $20 Gold, 900 THOUS. NGC graded AU-58. Nice and frosty. A few scattered marks here and there about the rims. None too serious. A rare treat: numismatists have the privilege of bidding on a beautiful high-end About Uncirculated example with luster that radiates from the central portion of both obverse and reverse all the way to the peripheries with only the barest sign of friction. Not only is it bright, golden, and alluring, but it also is a well struck example. The feathers, shield and breast detail on the eagle are nearly completely defined. Also above average with regards to abrasions and enhanced by soft hints of greenish patina. There were two major varieties for the 1853 Assay Office $20 gold pieces, the 884 and 900 THOUS. This is from the latter batch in "standard" coin gold that is .900 Fine, and is seem more frequently, although rarely offered in such choice condition.
Assay Twenties became the workhorse gold coins in California at the time of the Gold Rush. Being the most readily available of all territorial gold coins they are the most widely recognized by collectors. They were struck in the year preceding the opening of the San Francisco Mint, and are, by law, official issues of the United States Government.
Estimated Value $5,500 - 6,000.
The Greenhill Collection.
|
| |
| Realized $6,210 |
