1861-S $20 MS(PCGS#8935)

March 2020 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

4314

Grade

AU55

Price

3,360

Lot Description

1861-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. AU-55 (PCGS). An original and flashy Type I $20 with strong satiny luster flooding the fields. The pale golden-wheat surfaces are accented by swaths of orange and peach patina that is most apparent at the central reverse. Magnification reveals a few minor bagmarks on Liberty's portrait, but the eye appeal remains delightful for the grade. After producing 19,250 double eagles in early 1861 using the Paquet Reverse, the San Francisco Mint went on to strike an additional 768,000 examples using the pre-existing reverse by James Barton Longacre. The "regular reverse" 1861-S twenty is available in lower circulated grades but is scarce in AU and above. This Choice AU example surely represents an important offering for specialists. PCGS# 8935. NGC ID: 269K. Click here for certification details from PCGS.