1880-S $20 MS(PCGS#8993)

March 2021 U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

4180

Grade

MS62+

Price

10,800

Lot Description

Wonderfully Original Mint State 1880-S $20 Gold 1880-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-62+ (PCGS). CAC. Superior Mint State preservation for this scarce and conditionally challenging Type III Liberty Head double eagle issue. Both sides are bathed in a handsome blend of rose-gold patina and frosty mint luster. Fully struck and nearly in the Choice Mint State category. 836,000 double eagles, equal to $16,720,000 in face value, were coined at the San Francisco Mint in 1880, eclipsing the Philadelphia Mint production figure by a wide margin. It is likely that large numbers immediately entered the channels of commerce, as gold coins were very popular on the West Coast for day-to-day transactions. Many others may have been kept on hand in Treasury vaults for the redemption of Gold Certificates. Q. David Bowers in his 2004 Guide Book of Double Eaglesestimated a population of 200 to 300, or perhaps even more Uncirculated examples. This estimate represents a vast increase in supply since the early 1980s, the result of repatriations from foreign bank hoards. The 1880-S is still rare in comparison to many other late date San Francisco Mint Liberty Head double eagles, however, especially at and above the grade level offered here. PCGS Population: 1; 19 finer (MS-65+ finest). PCGS# 8993. NGC ID: 26BB. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.