1877-S $20 MS(PCGS#8984)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

6426

Grade

MS62

Price

4,920

Lot Description

This is an outstanding double eagle irrespective of type or issue. Both sides are fully struck and bathed in frosty rose-orange luster. Exceptionally smooth for this conditionally challenging issue, and worthy of a premium bid, as such. The 1877-S double eagle registered a mintage of 1,735,000 pieces, down some 138,000 coins from the previous year. Some portion of the mintage made it into overseas banking transactions, a familiar scenario - and a blessing to later generations of numismatists. Thanks to repatriations from foreign bank hoards, in fact, our estimate for Mint State survivors is a rather generous 1,500 to 2,500 coins. Most of these, however, hover around the MS-60 and MS-61 grade levels. As a solidly graded and upper end MS-62, this nearly Choice offering formerly from the Fairmont Collection represents the finest realistically obtainable for the issue as far as most of today's double eagle specialists are concerned.