1859-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 3....

Description

1859-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU55
Type One Branch Mint Rarity
Only 9,100 Examples Struck

1859-O $20 AU55 NGC. Variety 3. From a minuscule mintage of just 9,100 coins, the 1859-O is an elusive issue in all grades and an underrated rarity in the double eagle series. In fact, Doug Winter and Adam Crum noted that this is the fourth rarest of all New Orleans Mint double eagles, behind only the 1854-O, 1855-O, and 1856-O issues. It is also slightly rarer than the 1860-O issue. The authors of An Insider's Guide to Collecting Type I Double Eagles noted:

"The 1859-O is a very scarce issue in all grades. It is most often seen in the Very Fine to Extremely Fine grades and it is rare in About Uncirculated. Most pieces in this grade range are no better than About Uncirculated-53 and the 1859-O becomes very rare in About Uncirculated-55."

PCGS CoinFacts estimates the surviving population at 75 to 100 examples in all grades. NGC and PCGS have combined to certify only three examples in Mint State, with an NGC MS61 Prooflike the finest (6/22).

This Choice AU example exhibits a better-than-average strike, with sharp central details. A few of the stars on the obverse are flat, and there is slight weakness in the upper hair strands at the top of Liberty's head. The date is heavily impressed, with bold digits, but the mintmark is weaker, with the bottom curve extremely faint, almost missing. Clash marks are visible near Liberty's ear, and other clash marks are noted around the curls on Liberty's neck. These are present on all known examples of this issue, and are an excellent hallmark for authenticity. There is a heavy die crack on the reverse, from the wing through the left side of E in UNITED, to the border. The crossbar on the A in STATES was handcut. The light greenish-yellow gold surfaces display the expected number of minor abrasions for a large gold coin that spent some time in circulation, but no serious marks of any kind are noted. This is an important opportunity for series specialists and we expect intense competition when this lot is called. Census: 11 in 55, 11 finer (6/23).
Ex: Palm Beach Signature (Heritage, 3/2005), lot 7135; ANA Signature (Heritage, 7/2005), lot 10401; Allan H. Goldman Collection / Long Beach / Summer FUN Signature (Heritage, 7/2022), lot 3380.(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.

View Certification Details from NGC