1879-O $20 AU58 PCGS....

Description

1879-O Double Eagle, AU58
The Only O-Mint Type Three Issue

1879-O $20 AU58 PCGS. The New Orleans Mint closed during the Civil War and then reopened for coinage many years later in 1879. During the intervening years, the facility had an extremely limited staff and served as an assay office. For example, in 1877 the facility had an Assayer in Charge (Maximilian Bonzano), a Melter (Samuel Weeks), five workmen, and five janitors. Two years later, there were 31 employees in the General Department, five in the Assayer's Department, 18 in the Melter and Refiner's Department, and 59 employees in the Coiner's Department. The annual payroll increased from less than $10,000 in 1877 to a little more than $100,000 in 1879.

This impressive New Orleans double eagle is the only issue of the Type Three design modification, and is at once an important type coin and a rare issue for a specialized collection. From a mintage of only 2,325 coins, PCGS has certified just 69 in all grades, and only two that are finer than the present highly lustrous example. Both sides of this beauty exhibit bold design features and exceptional surfaces with trivial marks on each side. The fields are reflective and frame the lightly frosted devices, producing a lovely cameo appearance. This is one of the finest 1879-O double eagles in existence from an eye appeal standpoint. Doug Winter writes: "The finicky collector may have to wait many years for the chance to buy the 'right' example." We recommend placing a strong bid on this example, rather than waiting for many more years. Population: 5 in 58, 2 finer (3/17).(Registry values: N4719)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26B8, PCGS# 8990, Greysheet# 9931)

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 PCGS