Lot 3430
1873 $20 Liberty. Open 3. PCGS graded MS-63. A beauty displaying rich golden mint colors. The surfaces exhibit far fewer abrasions than usually seen on this issue. Sun-fresh golden color, in fact, indeed glowing with gold satin luster like few others we have been handed to sell in one of our sales. A coin fully radiant with a near-perfect strike. It is easy to see this piece was delivered a hard blow by the dies, or as some researchers believe, the dies were nearly new and carefully set in the equipment to impart the requisite force, and which imparted their sharpness to the struck planchet. Pop 112; 5 finer, 4 in 64, 1 in 65 (PCGS # 8967) .
The shift from the Closed 3 to Open 3 dates in all denominations was due to the following criticism by A. Louden Snowden, Chief Coiner, addressed to James Pollock, Director of the Mint, dated January 18, 1873:
"I desire in a formal manner to direct your attention to the 'figures' used in dating the dies for the present year. They are so heavy, and the space between each so small that upon the smaller gold and silver, and upon the base coins it is almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye, whether the last figure is an eight or a three. In our ordinary coinage many of the pieces are not fully brought up, and upon such it is impossible to distinguish what is the last figure of this year's date. I do not think it is creditable to the institution that the coinage of the year should be issued bearing this defect in the date. I would recommend that an entire new set of figures avoiding the defects of those now in use, be prepared at the earliest possible day.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 8,500.
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