Lot 1291
1869-S $20 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-64 PQ. Well struck with smooth satiny mint surfaces remarkably free from chatter marks and other disturbances, thus our Premium Quality designation. Light golden-orange and pale olive mint bloom colors add to its desirability.
No doubt about it: this is a very rare Type 2 San Francisco mint issued $20 gold piece for the collector to who seriously desires the choice Mint State grade. The surfaces are simply magnificent for what is usually an insipid and bagmarked date. Most other double eagles made at San Francisco in 1869 are heavily abraded, circulated, or lost forever. They are nearly impossible to find in other than so-so states of preservation.
The coin offered is one in a million! Note Liberty's beautiful facial profile in the photograph (or, if you are among he lucky few, in the viewing area of your magnifying glass when examining it first-hand). Notice the surrounding fields, whose smooth contours show just trivial scuffs and a few minute tics, unlike the heavily scratched surfaces of others. The luster is frosty. Clear-cut devices excepting the stars point to it having been giving a decent, but not quite 100% full strike by the dies. No other weakness occurs: the hair is crisp; the eagle incredibly bold. The rays of the sun and most of the reverse stars show every detail. Back on the obverse, even the pearls lining the coronet can be seen plainly, while the reverse impresses us with its near perfection of strike and near gem quality luster. Examination of the reverse fails to find a fault, and this portion of the coin would probably grade even higher on its own, as we alluded to. The coin is identifiable by a tiny diagonal nick by the first star on the obverse. As to rarity, that is where the beauty of this 1869-S twenty really shines (see below). Obviously, the coin is a contender for the finest known of the date, and as such has quality that is highly coveted by all advanced collectors. Expect strong competition for this coin when it crosses the block. Pop 5, tied for finest graded at PCGS. Here is a candidate for finest known (PCGS # 8956) .
Estimated Value $55,000 - 65,000.
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| Realized $69,000 |
