1859-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 1....

Description

1859-O Twenty Dollar, AU55
Stunningly Original Surfaces

1859-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 1. Ex: Duquesne. This is one of three die pairings known for this issue. showing the 1 in the date centered between dentils and a hand-cut crossbar on the A in STATES. The 1859-O double eagle issue scarcely survives in the Uncirculated grade levels, with the exception of couple of lower-Mint State coins. NGC currently shows a sole MS61 Prooflike example in Mint State, while PCGS has seen a single MS60 coin, the ex: Bass piece. Doug Winter writes of a third example -- an AU58 PCGS coin in a green-label holder, which we offered as lot 8834 in our FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2005), where it brought $92,000 -- that "in my opinion, this coin would grade MS60-MS61 by today's standards." Winter in his reference on O-mint gold also lists a fourth example that was apparently graded MS61 NGC and pedigreed to the S.S. Republic shipwreck recovery. But where Winter lists two MS61 NGC examples, NGC itself now shows only a single coin in that grade, so either it has been delisted/cracked out or it has been regraded into a different holder.

The 1859-O double eagle was struck in the meager amount of 9,100 pieces during the aftermath of the opening of the San Francisco Mint, which had the effect of drastically reducing the need for double eagle coinage from gold depositors at the Southern facility. The minor wear has resulted in thinner luster visible in the fields and light high-point wear, but there are no singular signs of contact -- quite the opposite, in fact, as the surfaces show stunning originality with deep honey-gold color prevailing, accented with lighter yellow-gold, reflective prooflike areas around the protected device edges. This beautiful coin might have garnered a higher grade were it not for some remnants of struck-in die grease in the reverse center. But as it is, this is an extremely appealing coin with surfaces that clearly (and fortunately) have never been cleaned, dipped, or otherwise messed with.

It has been several years since we offered a finer example of this issue, emphasizing the importance of this coin. Census: 10 in 55, 17 finer (3/16).(Registry values: N4719)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 269B, PCGS# 8927, Greysheet# 9895)

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.

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