1894-S $20 MS(PCGS#9026)

1894-S $20 MS (PCGS#9026)

June 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: This is a rare issue in Gem Mint state preservation, and the present example is one of the two finest certified to also have been stickered by CAC. A thoroughly PQ coin, both sides are aglow with vivid golden-apricot color. Luster is full and satiny on surfaces that are expectably smooth for the assigned grade. A razor sharp strike further enhances the desirability of this highly significant Liberty Head gold coin.<p>The San Francisco Mint produced 1,048,550 double eagles of this date, most of which were used in overseas transactions. We estimate 6,000 to 10,000+ Mint State examples of the 1894-S can be found today, generally at the low end of the Uncirculated scale, though MS-63 and MS-64 examples can be found with patience. In the 1930s and 1940s an EF example of the date was considered a top-notch coin, though that changed after World War II when large quantities of the issue were returned to America by coin dealers and others. As with so many other issues in the popular and widely collected Liberty Head double eagle series, however, the 1894-S remains a formidable condition rarity in Gem Mint State. This is one of the very finest examples available to today's discerning numismatists, a breathtakingly beautiful coin that is sure to see spirited bidding at auction.