1922-S $20 MS66 PCGS....

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Sold on Aug 22, 2022 for:

$144,000.00 Bid Source: Live: Floor bidder

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1922-S Double Eagle, MS66
A Condition Census Rarity

1922-S $20 MS66 PCGS. Ex: Simpson. The 1922-S is one of the great condition rarities of the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series. Coinage occurred from March through September 1922, yielding more than 2.6 million coins in total. Yet, most examples that were not exported or sold through the Mint Cashier apparently met their demise in the gold melts of the middle 1930s. In Saint Gaudens Double Eagles, Roger Burdette suggests that only about 2,100 coins survive in all grades today.

As late as the 1940s and into the 1950s, this issue was considered a rarity in all grades. It was not until exported coins began to be repatriated that the 1922-S became somewhat collectible. Burdette writes:

"[B]eginning in the early 1950s and continuing intermittently through the early 1970s a steady stream of 1922-S twenties began to turn up in Europe. Most of these evidently came from France or Belgium, and were mainly in lower Uncirculated condition. Then in 1983, a large number of Uncirculated pieces surfaced in the MTB Central American hoard. ... Today, 1922-S double eagles can be found in lower Uncirculated grades with little difficulty; however, high-grade examples remain quite rare."

The 1922-S double eagle is a rarity at auction in MS65, and in MS66 it resides in elite territory among the condition rarities of the Saint-Gaudens series. PCGS and NGC combined report eight submissions in this numeric grade (five at PCGS and three at NGC) with none finer. However, we can confirm only four pieces in this grade, all PCGS-certified. These include a coin in our June 1995 Long Beach Signature, an MS66+ example pictured on PCGS CoinFacts, an MS66-turned-MS66+ coin that has appeared on five occasions at auction within the last two decades, and, lastly, the Simpson MS66 piece offered here. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the Simpson coin has been offered.

Boldly struck design elements complement vivid orange-gold cartwheel luster, with pristine surfaces in the fields. A loupe reveals the usual minor ticks on the high points of Liberty's figure, but overall the eye appeal of this piece is excellent for the grade. A few tiny coppery alloy spots in Liberty's lower gown folds and in the reverse margins serve as pedigree markers in the absence of singular abrasions. Population: 5 in 66 (2 in 66+), 0 finer (7/22).(Registry values: N1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26G4, PCGS# 9174, Greysheet# 10176)

Weight: 33.44 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

View all of [Important Selections from The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part IX ]

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