1879-O $20 MS(PCGS#8990)

August 2011 Chicago ANA - Rarities Night

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

7773

等级

XF45

价格

220,376

详细说明

1879-O Liberty Double Eagle. Winter Variety One, the only known dies. EF-45 (PCGS). Alone among O-mint&nbsp;double eagles of the Type III design, the 1879-O was produced upon the reopening of the New Orleans Mint after its forced closure at the onset of the Civil War. The reason for this mintage is unknown, as the primary purpose of the reopening of the New Orleans facility in 1879 was to aid in the production of Morgan silver dollars. The 1879-O double eagle may have been produced simply to mark the historic resumption of coinage in New Orleans, a theory that gains support when we consider than the mintage of this issue is a token 2,325 pieces.<br> </br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With such a limited number of coins produced, the 1879-O is obviously a leading rarity in the Southern gold series. Doug Winter (<em>Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint: 1839-1909</em>, 2006 edition) allows for a surviving population of only 75-85 pieces in all grades, most are which are VFs or, at best, EFs. The author ranks this issue fourth in rarity among New Orleans Mint twenties after the 1856-O, 1854-O and 1855-O, a ranking it shares with the 1859-O. Overall lightly worn, this piece does retain considerable prooflike luster that is most vibrant when the coin is held at direct angles to a good light source. Suitably bold in detail, with warm, even, khaki-orange color throughout. Most of the wispy handling marks are singularly inconspicuous to the eye, although we do mention a thin graze behind Liberty's eye for accuracy.