1872-S $20 MS64 PCGS....

Description

1872-S Double Eagle, MS64
Elusive Issue in Mint State
Single Finest at PCGS

1872-S $20 MS64 PCGS. Small Squat S. The 1872-S Liberty double eagle claims a substantial mintage of 780,000 pieces, and examples can be obtained in XF or AU grades for only a minimal premium above melt. But like most Type Two issues, the '72-S is surprisingly rare in Mint State. The famous shipwrecks with cargos of Type One double eagles sank in the 1850s and 1860s, and were recovered in recent times, to augment the supply of high-quality specimens from that era. The large-scale export of gold coins to foreign markets that have been repatriated over the years since World War II did not take place until the later 1870s, and consisted mostly of Type Three issues. No equivalent hoards of high-quality Type Two twenties have ever surfaced. Most Mint State '72-S double eagles are in MS60 or MS61 grades. PCGS has certified just three examples finer than MS62, the present lot and a pair of MS63 specimens. NGC has graded one coin each as MS63 and MS64 with none finer (4/26). The MS64 NGC piece appeared as lot 3845 in our 2020 Central States Signature, and we invite bidders to compare images of the two coins to determine which is finest known.
     The present lustrous caramel-gold example is well struck and shows few marks, with the grade limited solely by faint grazes on the cheek and a pair of narrow obverse field ticks. As the finest-certified PCGS example, this coin is a Registry Set essential. This coin is pictured on PCGS CoinFacts. PCGS Population: 1 in 64, 0 finer (4/26).
Ex: The Ed Leigh McMillan Collection/FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2021), lot 4115. (Registry values: N1)
From The Fudd Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26AF, PCGS# 8965, GSID# 9916)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 33.44 grams
AGW: 0.9675oz
Mintage: 780,000

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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