1907-D $20 PR62 NGC....

Description

1907-D Liberty Double Eagle, PR62
Sole Branch Mint Proof Struck in Denver This Year
Ex: Farouk

1907-D $20 PR62 NGC. Ex: Farouk. Only one branch mint proof double eagle is known to have been produced of the 1907-D, and that was on September 30, 1907. Undoubtedly, these coins were struck to commemorate the end of the long-running Coronet design, which was first struck for regular coinage in 1850.
For a mint that had only been in operation for two years, this coin shows that the Denver facility was able to produce a remarkably high-quality proof. It is, in fact, consistent in quality with proofs struck in the Philadelphia Mint in the early years of the 20th century. There is no contrast evident on either side, but many Philadelphia proofs showed no contrast either during this period, and none were purposely made that way beginning in 1902. Die polish is complete and covers all areas of the fields right up to the rims and all the devices, something that is not seen on all branch mint proof dollars from the New Orleans or Carson City mints. Close examination with a magnifier shows tiny lint marks that were struck into the coin, evidence that the dies were wiped with a cloth, and because of static electricity, some of the lint from the cloth adhered to the dies, thus being transferred onto the coin. As one would expect from a multiply struck proof, the design elements are completely brought up in all areas.
This piece was once a part of the King of Egypt's collection of coins. According to John Pittman, King Farouk had a conservator who cleaned his coins. Not all of Farouk's coins were cleaned, though, and we are unsure what criteria the "conservator" used to select the coins to be cleaned, but this piece was one of them. The surfaces are noticeably hairlined on each side. That said, the hairlining is just about the only detracting technical element keeping this coin from a higher grade. The only surface flaws worth mentioning are a vertical milling mark on Liberty's neck and a short planchet flaw in the field by star 12.
Branch mint proofs are among the rarest of the rare in U.S. numismatics. They are incompletely understood even by experts as so few pieces are known, and some grading services shy away from encapsulating certain issues. However, the coins speak for themselves, and it is apparent they were specially prepared and an attempt was made to produce a proof product that would be comparable to that struck in the Philadelphia Mint. This is a unique offering from the Denver Mint, and it may be many years before this proof 1907-D is available again in public auction.
Ex: Palace Collection / Farouk (Sotheby's, 2-3/1954), lot 184, part of a 34-coin lot; Kreisberg-Schulman (10/2/1959), lot 1844; Kreisberg-Schulman (2/1960), lot 2931; Ronnie Carr; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2004), lot 3227, where it brought $46,000.
From The Douglas Collection.(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26EV, PCGS# 9123, Greysheet# 10128)

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 all of [The Douglas Collection ]

View Certification Details from NGC