Lot 2223
1865-S. PCGS graded MS-63 PQ. Brother Jonathan 781. A nice frosty uncirculated example. The 1865-S Brother Jonathan group is a perennially favorite issue in the Liberty head series. It is also extremely difficult to locate in pieces now that most have found homes in major collections. This is one of the finer looking specimens, albeit in modest MS63 but with qualities that send it to the front of the line. An almost magnificent coin, it has softly frosted mint luster and each side (but more so the reverse), shows a lively interplay of peach-colored orange-gold to bright reddish-pink patina. Sharply defined throughout, there are a few small, insignificant luster grazes in the fields but only trivial marks seen, and these mostly require a glass to find. It may be awhile before a similar choice grade 1865-S twenty such as this is again offered for sale at public auction (PCGS # 8944) .
The Deep Sea Research group of entrepreneurs found and recovered 1,207 coins from the wreck of the Brother Jonathan, mostly in the form of 1865-S double eagles. Today, these are available in frosty Mint State grades. That source has also made a few Gem-quality examples available to collectors, although their number is currently limited to just a handful of MS65 and MS66 pieces. As such, the 1865 is, while not rare, considered one of the most historic offerings available to American numismatists.
Estimated Value $6,500 - 7,000.
The Wayne Fowler Estate.
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| Realized $12,650 |
