LOT #3491 |
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1866-S $20 Motto MS62 PCGS.... (Total: 7 coins)
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Sold on Aug 26, 2025 for:
$48,000.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Description
1866-S Motto Double Eagle, MS62
Fantastic 'Buried Treasure' Relic
Newly Discovered in the Most
Romantic Fashion
1866-S $20 Motto MS62 PCGS. Numismatists have long dreamed
of fantastic discoveries, but few of us ever find ourselves making
them. That is why such high prices are paid for coins with the
S.S. Central America pedigree, and why the 2013 discovery of
the Saddle Ridge Hoard sent waves of excitement through the
numismatic community when we were all reminded that spectacular
finds can and do still happen. Our consignor can add himself to the
list of people to make a great discovery. The coin in this case was
"merely" an 1866-S Motto double eagle, but the place and way it was
found will no doubt spark a new generation of metal detecting
enthusiasts.Our consignor shared the entire magnificent story of discovery at a Nevada-area ghost town, a portion of which we reproduce here:
"I continued detecting and just as I came around a large sagebrush, through my headphones came the best sounding signal I've heard all day! Maybe even ever! It was so clean and clear, I knew I had something good. ... After sweeping over the target a few more times to pinpoint the exact location, I promptly put my shovel in the ground and flipped over a small pile of dirt. Right there laying atop the dirt pile that I just flipped over was not the copper coin I was expecting, but something else. ... As I'm looking closely at it trying to figure out what it is, I start making out stars and then I see the date of 1866! It was at this point when I realized that what I had found was not a copper coin but a huge, $20 gold double eagle!"
Our consignor scoured the area further and found many additional artifacts, including buttons, a U.S. general service eagle coat button, broken Chinese pottery dating to the 1860s, an opium tin lid with Chinese characters on it, a Chinese coin, and more. Clearly, the site had once been an encampment of some kind, and the various artifacts -- along with a shiny Uncirculated U.S. double eagle -- had lain untouched for more than one and a half centuries.
Even after more than a century in the ground, the conserved surfaces of this Mint State 1866-S double eagle still display fresh, frosty luster and are bathed in warm orange-gold color. The appearance is not unlike that of most SSCA shipwreck coins -- it is an appearance that collectors assign in their minds to coins with rich "lost treasure" history, and rightfully so with this piece. A sharp strike adds to the appeal, and grade-limiting abrasions are all light and unobtrusive. Even without the fantastic story of its discovery, this would be an outstanding Mint State example of this conditionally rare issue. No numerically finer examples are known, and it is quite impressive that such a find as this coin would rank among the finest 1866-S Motto double eagles known. We offer the coin here along with a sampling of the other artifacts with which it had lain for generations. Population: 11 in 62 (3 in 62+), 0 finer (7/25).(Registry values: N7079)
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 August 26 - 31 ANA US Coins Signature® Auction #1385 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
August, 2025
26th-31st
Tuesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 16
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 470
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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