LOT #3168 |
Current Bid: $7,000
1854-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 1....
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Description
1854-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU55
Classic O-Mint Rarity
Condition Census Candidate
1854-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 1. The 1854-O Liberty double
eagle claims a meager mintage of 3,250 pieces, the second-lowest
production total of the series. The reason for the small mintage is
easily explained by the opening of the San Francisco Mint in 1854,
which drastically reduced the flow of gold deposits at the New
Orleans facility. Before 1854, large amounts of gold dust and ore
were deposited every year at the Southern mint, but the San
Francisco facility was much more convenient to the great California
gold fields, so deposits dwindled to a trickle once that location
commenced coinage operations. As a result, the 1854-O is one of the
rarest coins of any denomination ever struck at the New Orleans
Mint.For many years experts felt the 1856-O double eagle was the rarest O-mint twenty dollar gold piece by a slight margin, but recent research indicates the 1854-O may be just as rare. We compiled rosters of both issues for comparison. The roster of 1856-O double eagles includes 25 recognizably different coins, with a number of additional appearances that may or may not represent the coins listed in the main roster. The 1854-O roster (below) lists 26 coins that we know to be different examples, but the list of additional specimens is somewhat longer and it is possible that a few more coins may eventually prove to be separate specimens. In any case, the data indicate that the 1854-O and 1856-O are virtually tied in terms of absolute rarity.
The present coin is a mysterious example that first appeared in lot 4449 of our 8/2015 Chicago ANA Signature (the Duquesne specimen). It had evidently been off the market for some time before that offering, as we were not able to identify any previous auction appearance for this specimen. It may be one of the Additional Appearances we were unable to definitely link to a recent pedigree chain in the roster below. Less likely, it may be a specimen that had never been offered at auction. In either case, it is a relatively fresh example to the numismatic community, and a high-quality piece, at that. The design elements were strongly impressed and show just a touch of wear on the high points. Many stars show evidence of recutting and the diagnostic raised die lines are visible near TY in LIBERTY. The pleasing greenish-gold surfaces retain significant amounts of original mint luster and abrasions are both smaller and fewer in number than usually seen on this issue. This attractive Choice AU specimen is tied with several other coins for fifth place in the Condition Census for the date. The 1854-O is listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins. Census: 4 in 55, 3 finer (7/25).
Roster of 1854-O Liberty Double Eagles
This roster was compiled with the assistance of Ron Guth and the Numismatic Detective Agency.
1. AU58 PCGS. 55th Catalog (New Netherlands, 12/1960), lot 8; Dallas Bank (H. Jeff Browning) Collection (Sotheby's/Stack's, 10/2001), lot 10, $161,000; D.L. Hansen Collection.
2. AU58 NGC. Gilhousen Collection (Superior, 2/1973), lot 854; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part III (Bowers and Merena, 5/2000), lot 780, $103,500; ANA Signature (Heritage, 7/2005), lot 10397, $431,250; Rare Coin Wholesalers, offered on their website for $749,500 on 2/3/2020.
3. AU58 NGC. Auction '79 (Stack's, 7/1979), lot 934; ANA Building Fund Sale (Steve Ivy, 12/1981), lot 1560; Century Collection Sale (Superior, 2/1992), lot 2938; King of Siam Proof Set (Superior, 1/1993), lot 1484, $39,600; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2002), lot 4011, $92,000; Eagle Collection (Heritage, 1/2004), lot 3087, $189,750.
4. AU58 NGC. Recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Republic; Monaco Rare Coins, sold privately in 2004.
5. AU55 PCGS. Robert Marks Collection (American Auction Association, 11/1972), lot 1056; James & Margaret Carter Collection (Stack's, 3/1986), lot 528; Auction '88 (David Akers, 7/1988), lot 974; Cincinnati Collection (Heritage, 1/2005), lot 8829, $368,000; Rubic Collection (Heritage, 10/2011), lot 5099, $431,250; Charles G. Wright Family Collection (Heritage, 4/2014), lot 5793, $440,625; Bruce S. Sherman Collection, Part II (Heritage, 4-5/2025), lot 3104.
6. AU55 PCGS. Arthur C. Fritz Collection (Lester Merkin, 10/1966), lot 372; United States Gold and Silver Coins Auction (Stack's, 3/1990), lot 1362; David & Jeannie Cheung Collection / Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 2/2001), lot 7079, $87,400; Close, Huntoon et al Collections (Bowers and Merena, 8/2007), lot 1906, $494,500; Baltimore Collection (Heritage, 10/2008), lot 3012, $603,750; Las Vegas Collection (Heritage, 1/2011), lot 5246, $460,000.
7. AU55 PCGS. Richmond Collection, Part I (David Lawrence, 7/2004), lot 2246, $304,750; Horseshoe Collection (Bowers and Merena, 8/2010), lot 1818, $488,750.
8. AU55 PCGS. R.L. Miles, Jr. (Stack's, 10/1968), lot 833, realized $4,000; James and Margaret Carter Collection (Stack's, 1/1986), lot 408, realized $39,600; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 2/2025), lot 3377.
9. AU55 NGC. ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2015), lot 4449, $340,750; Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2016), lot 4815. The present coin.
10. AU55 NGC. Stanley Scott Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 6/1975), lot 1129; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 6/2014), lot 4897, $381,875.
11. AU53 NGC. Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 2/1994), lot 5521; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/1999), lot 8414; Pre-Long Beach Sale (Goldberg Auctions, 2/2017), lot 1337.
12. AU53 PCGS. A specimen formerly pictured on PCGS CoinFacts website that cannot be plate matched to any appearance on this roster.
13. AU50 PCGS. Alex Shuford Collection (Abe Kosoff, 5/1968), lot 2412; John Jay Pittman; Pittman Collection, Part I (David Akers, 10/1997), lot 1128; Superior (6/1998), lot 2361; ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2014), lot 5686, realized $329,000.
14. AU50 PCGS. William Van Roden Collection (Stack's, 5/1968), lot 910; Eugene Detmer Collection (Stack's, 2/1983), lot 1078; Auction '89 (RARCOA, 7/1989), lot 450; Denver Signature (Heritage, 8/2006), lot 5592; Baltimore Auction (Bowers and Merena, 11/2007), lot 4668; Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2015), lot 5424.
15. AU50 PCGS. Amon Carter Collection (1/1984), lot 841; ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/1997), lot 7821; Mid-Winter ANA Signature (Heritage, 3/1998), lot 6507; Superior (9/1998), lot 2227; California Sale (Goldberg Auctions, 10/2000), lot 1142; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 1/2004), lot 7239.
16. AU50 PCGS. Public Auction Sale (Stack's, 6/1979), lot 586; DEA and U.S. Marshals Service Sale (Heritage, 12/1988), lot 1370; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2003), lot 4873.
17. AU50. Louis Eliasberg, Sr.; United States Gold Coin Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 883.
18. AU50. ANA Convention Auction (Paramount, 8/1974), lot 967; ANA Convention Auction (New England Rare Coin Auctions, 7/1979), lot 427; King of Siam Sale (Bowers and Merena, 10/1987), lot 2011; Charles Kramer Collection (Superior/Stack's, 11/1988), lot 730; Auction '90 (David Akers, 8/1990), lot 1947; James E. Haldan Collection (Sotheby's, 6/1996), lot 136; Americana Sale (Stack's, 1/2008), lot 9111.
19. AU50. Josiah K. Lilly Collection; Smithsonian Institution.
20. AU Details Cleaned NGC. Fun Signature (Heritage, 1/2023), lot 3892, $216,000.
21. XF45 PCGS. CAC. Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2021), lot 3446, $276,000; Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 8/2024), lot 3446, realized $312,000.
22. XF45 NGC. From an old family collection, off the market for many years; Dallas Signature (Heritage, 3/2018), lot 3192, realized $204,000; Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 11/2019), lot 3187.
23. XF40 PCGS. Peter J. Schemenauer Estate (Bowers and Merena, 7/2005), lot 2721.
24. XF Details Cleaned NGC. Mann and Smedley Collections (Bowers and Merena, 9/1988), lot 549; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2014), lot 5515.
25. VF30 PCGS. Two sisters with roots in Tennessee; Eldorado Sale (Stack's, 5/2009), lot 158; ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2019), lot 3921.
26. XF Details Cleaned Net VF30 ANACS. Bell Collection (RARCOA, 4/1963), lot 843; Tollett and Pryor Collections (Stack's, 4/1971), lot 884; James and Margaret Carter Collection (Stack's, 3/1986), lot 529; James A. Stack Collection (Stack's, 11/1989), lot 1494; Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 1/1999), lot 1467; Houston Signature (Heritage, 12/2008), lot 2244.
Additional Auction Appearances
(Catalogs not available for comparison or lacking sufficient detail for plate matching.)
A. Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 1/2010), lot 829.
B. ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/1998), lot 5733.
C. Bullet Sale (Heritage, 4/1990), lot 596.
D. Ronald Kessler Collection (Sotheby's, 3/1990), lot 374.
E. Central States Auction (RARCOA, 4/1976), lot 420.
F. Public Auction Sale (Abner Kreisberg, 6/1969), lot 1127.
G. Arrowhead Collection (Sotheby's, 5/1987), lot 345.
H. Pacific Collection (Hughes, 2/1978), lot 1378.
I. Public Auction Sale (Abner Kreisberg, 1/1970), lot 1935.
J. Fontani Collection (Kreisberg and Schulman, 3/1965), lot 182.
K. Baldenhofer Collection (Stack's, 11/1955), lot 1511.
L. Waldo Newcomer, inventory number 973; Colonel E.H.R. Green, via B. Max Mehl, circa 1931; King Farouk, via Stack's; Palace Collections of Egypt (Sotheby's, 2/1954), lot 180; Abe Kosoff.
M. Stephen Allen Collection (Stack's, 12/1950), lot 110.
N. Menjou Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 6/1950), lot 1955.
O. Dr. Charles W. Green (B. Max Mehl, 4/1949), lot 806.
P. Memorable Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 3/1948), lot 759.
Q. Public Auction Sale (Stack's, 12/1947), lot 579.
R. Public Auction Sale (Hollinbeck Coin Co., 11/1947), lot 10.
S. Lee Collection (Stack's, 10/1947), lot 1775.
T. William Cutler Atwater, before 1923; Atwater Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1946), lot 1336.
U. F.C.C. Boyd (World's Greatest Collection, Numismatic Gallery, 1/1946), lot 938.
V. J.F. Bell Collection (Stack's, 12/1944), lot 897.
W. 444th Sale (J.C. Morgenthau, 6/1940), lot 68.
X. 399th Sale (J.C. Morgenthau, 5/1939), lot 452.
Y. Wheeler-Norton Collections (Thomas Elder, 9/1938), lot 1529.
Z. 356th Sale (J.C. Morgenthau, 12/1935), lot 237.
AA. McCaw-Bauer-Leech Collections (Thomas Elder, 1/1934), lot 1204.
BB. Nickerson-Butler-Edwards Collections (Thomas Elder, 12/1933), lot 1124.(Registry values: N10218)
From The Crescent Collection.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 268T, PCGS# 8912, Greysheet# 9848)
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.
Auction Info
2025 October 2 - 5 GACC US Coins Signature® Auction #1386 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
October
2nd
Thursday
12:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
October
2nd-5th
Thursday-Sunday
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6h 55m 39s
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