1886 $20, DCAM PR(PCGS#99102)

December 2025 Showcase Auction - The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection Part I

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

20043

Grade

PR65+DCAM

Price

312,000

Lot Description

This wonderfully original Gem Deep Cameo Proof was last offered in our (Stack's) October 1947 H.R. Lee Collection sale, which was composed largely of duplicates from the collection of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. The handsome surfaces exhibit delicate silver-rose iridescence on dominant deep orange-gold color, the former a bit bolder and more pronounced on the obverse. Both sides feature universally full strike detail that calls forth even the most intricate design elements with precision. The already abundant eye appeal is enhanced by stark cameo contrast between satiny devices and deeply mirrored fields. Carefully preserved, this coin will be just right for another world class numismatic cabinet.<p>The 1886 double eagle is one of the "magic dates" in the classic U.S. gold coin series. Only the Philadelphia Mint struck coins of this denomination that year, but its output was limited to just 106 Proofs and 1,000 circulation strikes. Survivors from both mintages are of nearly equal rarity in today's market, with a slight edge in availability going to circulation strikes thanks to the repatriation of a few examples from foreign bank hoards in recent decades. In the historic numismatic market, circulation strikes of this date were hardly ever seen, and most collections of earlier generations either featured a Proof or lacked an 1886 double eagle altogether. The coin offered here is one of just 25 to 30 Proofs believed extant, per John W. Dannreuther (2018), and as one of the finest certified by PCGS it holds tremendous appeal for advanced collectors.