1856-S $20 MS(PCGS#8919)

August 2023 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

6642

等级

MS61

价格

48,059

详细说明

1856-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-61 (NGC). CAC. Both the obverse and reverse are sharply struck -- yielding a truly wondrous coin from this aspect. Rich medium to deep gold luster is present on both sides. All things considered, the overall quality of this coin eclipses many double eagles graded MS-62 or even finer The mintage for this early San Francisco Mint issue was 1,189,750 pieces, up more than 300,000 pieces from the previous year. The face value for the date totaled $23,795,000. We suggest perhaps some 35 to 50 or so Mint State coins existed before the finding of the S.S. Central America treasure, from which hundreds of Mint State 1856-S twenties were recovered; the population is more likely 350 to 500 Mint State pieces now. Prior to the recovery of the S.S. Central America, the 1856-S was considered a date to be reckoned with if a nice Mint State coin was desired. A few hundred pleasing Uncirculated examples of the date were rescued from the Central America wreck area and were met with great delight in the numismatic marketplace. Another group of 1856-S double eagles came into the marketplace prior to the Central America hoard, those from the Fort Capron Treasure. A military payroll amounting to $23,000 in gold coins was lost in the Indian River Inlet in Florida near the border with Georgia in 1857. Surviving pieces from the Fort Capron hoard, though mainly Uncirculated, bear sea water surfaces that have been lightly etched by sea and sand. When offered today, these "sea water Uncs" are often down-graded to EF or AU. Additionally, the famous Baltimore Find contained 23 1856-S double eagles of various grades. Dave Bowers' book, American Coin Treasures and Hoards, out of print but available on the second-hand market, gives details on these and other hoards. PCGS# 8919. NGC ID: 2692. Click here for certification details from NGC.