1908-S $20 MS64+ PCGS. CAC....

Description

1908-S Double Eagle, MS64+
High-End for the Issue
CAC Approved

1908-S $20 MS64+ PCGS. CAC. The 1908-S Saint-Gaudens double eagle boasts one of the lowest mintages in the entire series (just 22,000 coins). Prominent researcher Roger Burdette notes that the older coin presses at the San Francisco Mint did not have sufficient clearance to allow the new tripartite collar used on the Saint-Gaudens double eagles to function properly. The necessary equipment adjustments delayed coinage operations until August 7, when the entire 22,000-piece mintage was delivered.
     Further problems ensued when the coins would not stack properly for counting purposes. Extensive testing was necessary to correct the problem, with new dies of a different diameter and planchets with a different upset angle, so double eagle production was suspended for the rest of the year. Accordingly, the 1908-S claims the lowest mintage of the With Motto series. While examples are often available at auction in low and middle Mint State grades, their total number is but a tiny fraction of the survivorships of other dates. Any 1908-S twenty is a scarce coin in the context of the series, and pieces as fine as MS64 are particularly elusive. Plus-graded pieces at this level -- and CAC-endorsed coins -- are genuinely rare.
     This high-end near-Gem displays a bold strike and luminous, satiny honey-gold mint luster. A loupe fails to reveal bothersome abrasions, and the overall eye appeal is outstanding for the issue. The high quality within the grade is confirmed by CAC. PCGS Population: 32 in 64 (7 in 64+), 37 finer (3/26). CAC: 5 in 64, 18 finer (3/26).
Ex: U.S. Coins Signature (Heritage, 11/2023), lot 3216.(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26FA, PCGS# 9149, Greysheet# 10161)

Weight: 33.44 grams

Metal: Gold

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