1853 "900" $20 U.S. Assay Office MS(PCGS#10013)

1853 "900" $20 U.S. Assay Office MS (PCGS#10013)

The August 2010 Boston Rarities Sale

详细说明: 1853 United States Assay Office of Gold $20 Gold. K-18. Rarity-2. 900 THOUS. MS-64 (PCGS). CAC. OGH--First Generation. This is one of the most frequently encountered types in the privately minted California Gold Rush coinage series of the late 1840s and 1850s. The U.S. Assay Office of Gold under Curtis, Perry and Ward struck 2.5 million 900 THOUS $20 gold pieces from the beginning of March to the end of October, 1853. The coins were widely distributed, with many finding their way into circulation on the West Coast and others being shipped back to the Eastern United States as gold bullion.<br />     Free of wear and fully Choice, the coin we are offering here obviously never saw circulation. It was probably one of those 1853 Assay Office Twenties shipped to Eastern banks for use as bullion reserves, a fact that if true would explain the extraordinarily high level of surface preservation. Both sides are actually close to full Gem quality with most areas silky smooth in sheen and just a few trivial abrasions being confined to the left-obverse field. Frosty luster is full and vibrant, and it blends nicely with gorgeous reddish-gold patina. A sharply struck and original condition rarity that would serve as a centerpiece in the finest specialized collection.