1915-S $20 MS66+ PCGS. CAC....

Description

1915-S Twenty Dollar, MS66+
A CAC-Endorsed Top-Grade Rarity

1915-S $20 MS66+ PCGS. CAC. The 1915-S double eagle was heavily exported as late as the early 1920s. Roger Burdette reasons that most of these exported coins went to South America, considering the high quality of survivors -- double eagles shipped to Europe, if not melted down, were frequently counted and moved, causing extensive bagmarks to the coins that many 1915-S double eagles just do not exhibit. Whatever the final destination of exported pieces, though, the 1915-S circulated little in the United States. Compared to Uncirculated coins, circulated survivors of this date are scarce, and most are just barely below the Mint State barrier, grading AU58. This is typical of the double eagle denomination as a whole during the 1910s and later. Coins were struck primarily for export and to be stored domestically as backing for gold certificates, which by law had to be backed by at least two thirds of their face value in coined gold. Thus, the 1915-S double eagle is generally plentiful, except for at the two grading extremes: well-circulated pieces, and top-grade coins.

The present MS66+ coin is one of only four graded so fine at PCGS, and it is one of just 20 Premium Gems from any service to receive CAC recognition. There are no finer coins in the PCGS or CAC Population Reports (9/19). This is a Registry coin if there ever was one. It is nearly half a grade point finer than the MS66 piece in the Simpson Collection, which is the only higher-rated PCGS Registry Set than the Fox Collection, from which this piece is offered. Luster is frosty and vibrant, yielding greenish-gold margins and rich peach-orange interiors. The strike is bold, complemented by a lack of bothersome abrasions.

David Akers (2008) Comments:
The 1915-S is one of the most common pre-1920 issues in the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle series, but it is still a bit rarer than the 1914-S in terms of total number of coins known. Several hoards with 1,000 or more coins have entered the market since the early 1970s, so it is not surprising that the 1915-S is plentiful in lower Mint State grades through MS64. Gems are also readily obtainable, but the issue is all but unknown in MS67.
From The Rollo Fox Collection of $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold. (Registry values: N2998)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26FW, PCGS# 9168, Greysheet# 10173)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 33.44 grams
AGW: 1.06oz
Mintage: 567,500

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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