1904 $20 MS(PCGS#9045)

June 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2281

Grade

MS67

Price

97,600

Lot Description

A satiny golden-apricot 1904 double eagle with razor sharp strike detail throughout the design. The surfaces are silky smooth and impressively well preserved for both the issue and the type.<p>By the early 20th century gold coins no longer actively circulated within the United States, except for limited use on the West Coast, where local needs were easily met by the San Francisco Mint. As such, it seems that most 1904 Philadelphia Mint double eagles were used in international commerce, generally in the form of shipment to England or France. Hundreds of thousands of these coins returned to the United States beginning after World War II, and the 1904 is the most available issue of its type in Mint State. At the Superb Gem Uncirculated level, as here, the 1904 is an extraordinary condition rarity. Even our recent impressive offerings from the Fairmont Collection have not yielded an example certified finer than MS-66. The Cardinal Collection specimen that sold in our November 2017 Baltimore Auction was the previous record holder for highest graded 1904 double eagle in our archives; it was certified MS-66+ by PCGS. In fact, only two PCGS MS-67s has ever sold at auction. The first realized $73,438 in Legend's June 2019 Regency Auction 33, and was a different example than that offered here, and it sold in a different market. The second is the coin being reoffered here, which realized $138,000 when it sold in our June 2022 Auction. We would not be surprised to see this beautiful specimen sell for an even stronger bid in this current offering.