Mint $20 Rarity – 1861-O Liberty Double Eagle NGC AU55

The New Orleans Mint struck a small mintage of 17,741 Liberty double eagles in the early part of 1861, on the brink of the Civil War. Noted gold specialist Doug Winter reports only 5,000 of those coins were struck before January 26, while the New Orleans Mint was still operating under federal authority. Another 9,750 examples were produced between January 26 and March 31, while the State of Louisiana was the governing authority. A final production of 2,991 specimens was achieved under the auspices of the Confederacy, before the Mint shut its doors on April 30. Although three obverse dies were sent to the New Orleans Mint, it seems all the coins were struck from the same die pair. Most of the coins show some weakness in the numerals of the date, toward the bottom. About one fifth of the surviving population features a strong date, with a die crack from the rim near star 2 to Liberty’s chin. Attempts have been made to determine which coins were struck first and which were produced by the Confederacy, but there is no general agreement at this time.
Collecting double eagles was not popular in the 19th century, as the cost of assembling a collection of twenty dollar gold coins was prohibitive for most numismatists of the period. Little attention was paid to branch mint issues and the few wealthy collectors who did assemble date runs of large denomination gold coins usually preferred to order proof from the Philadelphia Mint to update their collection. As a result, few high-quality examples of the 1861-O were saved for numismatic purposes and no more than 150-175 specimens survive today in all grades. Most examples seen are in the XF40 to AU50 grade range. Winter notes, “Properly graded AU55 and AU58 coins are very rare, and I haven’t seen more than 3-5 with claims to an Uncirculated grade.”

In hand, this example looks far better than it shows in our images and it exhibits considerable luster and flash. The NGC population is 15 (one of which is designated “Star”) with 22 graded higher.

Listed at $72,000 in the CDN CPG and $75,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $69,900 Delivered

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1796 Draped Bust Dime NGC AU58

1796 was the first year of dime (or disme, per nomenclature of the era) production at the First Philadelphia Mint. The Draped Bust and Small Eagle motifs originated on 1795 silver dollars. According to often repeated numismatic legend, the Draped Bust model was Philadelphia socialite Ann Willing Bingham, indirectly through paintings by noted artist Gilbert Stuart. Guide Book  credit for the design, however, is assigned to Chief Engraver Robert Scot.
On the dime, the Small Eagle only lasted through 1797, and was replaced by the Heraldic (or Large) Eagle in 1798. The Draped Bust obverse continued until 1807, except the star count was reduced to 13 beginning in 1798. Technically, the 1796 15 Stars is a single-year design subtype, since the 1797 issue has either 16 (JR-1) or 13 (JR-2) stars.

In hand this example is lighter in hue and more lustrous than seen in our images. Listed at $19,800 in the CDN CPG and $21,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $18,890 Delivered

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Highly Attractive 1807 Draped Bust Quarter Eagle PCGS MS61

1807 is the final year for the Capped Bust Right type, which had ruled the denomination since its 1796 debut. Like many quarter eagle and dime die pairings from the early Mint era, the dies for the 1807 BD-1 quarter eagle — a single-die-pair year — were used to strike about 6,800 of the gold coins along with an estimated 165,000 silver dimes, which are also known through only the single JR-1 die marriage. These “marriages of convenience” were enabled via the lack of a stated denomination on either type. Although the obverse die is new (of course), the reverse die was previously used for all quarter eagles dated 1805 and 1806.

Though not apparent in our images, the example offered here exhibits abundant luster and excellent eye-appeal. The PCGS population is 9 with 23 graded higher.

Listed at $36,000 in the CDN CPG and $45,000 in the PCGS price guide.

Offered at $36,400

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1793 Wreath, Vine & Bars Large Cent NGC XF45

After the public outcry over the Chain design, Mint Director David Rittenhouse ordered the preparation of new designs, resulting in the Wreath cents, a slight improvement over the Chain cents. Production began in early April and continued until the end of that month, picking up again in early July. Coinage was halted after the production of 63,353 Wreath cents. In-hand, this example is somewhat lighter than seen on our images.

Listed at $26,400 in the CDN CPG and $25,000 (in XF 40) in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $21,250

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Just 1 Graded Higher – 1852 Liberty Double Eagle NGC MS63

The 1852 date was a heavily minted (over 2 million produced), but like all Type One double eagles it is distinctly uncommon in Mint State and rare in Select Mint State. Type collectors usually focus on the 1851, 1852, 1853 and 1861 double eagles to find a suitable specimen. Gold specialists compete for these dates, searching out sharp examples with excellent eye appeal. The one offered here exhibits satiny surfaces and golden-tan color. The NGC population is only 8 with 1 graded higher.

Listed at $28,800 in the CDN CPG and $29,500 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $28,000

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Tough 1927-S Saint Gaudens Double Eagle NGC MS61

The 1927-S double eagle has a long history of being among the scarcest and most prized dates in the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series. No significant quantities were ever released to the Treasurer, and the vast majority of the more than 3 million-coin mintage was later melted. In Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles,  Roger Burdette writes:

“After World War II, scarce-date coins began to surface in the bullion and numismatic holdings of European banks and individual. Several issues once thought to be very rare were located; some such as 1922-S and 1926-S in large quantities. A few 1927-S double eagles appeared, but not enough to have a significant impact on the coin’s relative scarcity.”
Today, about 300 pieces are believed extant in all grades, most residing in the MS61 to MS63 grade range.

Listed at $38,400 in the CDN CPG and $39,500 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $36,500

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Tied for Highest Graded – 1868-S Liberty Eagle NGC AU58

This Western ten-dollar issue is unknown in Uncirculated condition, placing added demand on the few examples that have met the requirements for an AU58 assessment. Dave Bowers writes that “Most are VF or EF” but that enough survive in AU to satisfy advanced collectors with “generous budgets.” That may be true in lower AU grades, but hardly at this level. Even the most well-financed specialists will require patience in seeking a near-mint state representative. The NGC population is just 7 with none graded higher. Coincidentally, the PCGS population is also 7 with none higher.

Listed at $20,400 in the CDN CPG and $20,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $15,100

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Highly Attractive 1907 No Motto Indian Eagle NGC MS66

The Philadelphia Mint struck off 239,400 Saint-Gaudens Indian Head eagles after the No Periods design had been finalized. Just a few months later in mid-1908 the motto IN GOD WE TRUST would be placed in the left reverse field. This short-lived type remains collectible in high grades but becomes quite scarce-to-rare in MS67 condition. The example herein offered boasts excellent eye-appeal

Listed at $14,400 in the CDN CPG and $13,000 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $14,280

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1891-CC Liberty Double Eagle NGC MS61

With just 5,000 pieces struck, the 1891-CC is a rarity among Carson City twenties and the long-running Liberty Head double eagles alike. Despite small groups of the issue surfacing from time to time among overseas holdings, Mint State examples are rare even within the low Uncirculated levels. The finest 1891-CC seen by PCGS or NGC tops out at MS6 3, with each of those grading companies having recognized a single survivor at that grade. In hand, this example is noticeably more lustrous than seen in our images. The NGC population is 16 with 10 graded higher.

Listed at $86,400 in the CDN CPG and $77,500 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $76,500

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1818/5 Capped Bust Quarter NGC MS65

Although 10 die varieties are known for the 1818 quarters from among five obverse and seven reverse dies, only the B-1 obverse features the 1818/5 overdate, with the 81, wide in the date and faint remnants of the 5 inside the upper loop. It is paired with a reverse showing large rim dentils, the scroll ending between AM, and a long, upward-curving flag on the 5 in the denomination. The overdate is a Guide Book -listed variety, increasing its popularity among that collecting subset, and it is an overdate that is widely available in high grades, up to the near-Gem level or so. The NGC population is just 8 with 3 graded higher.

Listed at $29,400 in the CDN CPG and $25,500 in the NGC price guide.

Offered at $19,600

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Major Credit Cards Accepted, add 3.5%
Offer subject to availability.