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Absolutely Incredible 1851-O $20 Liberty, Finest Known
1641
1851-O. PCGS graded MS-63.
Fully untoned and
well struck. Reflective fields on both sides which is
commonly seen on these early New Orleans double
eagles. Rarely are they found so well preserved, par-
ticularly so for this issue. In fact, noted expert Doug
Winter believes that the only other MS-63 example
certified by NGC was likely an MS-62 high end coin
that just became upgraded to MS-63 in recent times.
That makes this example all the more desirable as it
earned an MS-63 from PCGS the first time through,
notice the quality of the fields and devices and see
what you think! Its a great looking coin, and which
we believe will stand tall as the Finest Known for this
issue.
It is notable that several examples of this date and
mint were found in the shipwrecks of the S.S. Central
America and S. S. Republic but none of these coins
were mint state, having been in circulation for some
time before those ships were lost. Thus, despite a
mintage of 315,000 pieces, the 1851-O double eagle
is quite elusive in mint state. Add to this fact that the
present coin has been out of the numismatic market-
place for generations, and you have a real treasure
that was sitting in a safe deposit box for decades!
If you are a specialist in New Orleans coinage, or
just appreciate high quality branch mint pieces, then
be sure to stop and enjoy this elegant double eagle
before it crosses the block, for once it is sold, it may
not appear again for many years to come.
Pop 1;
none finer. Tied for the finest at either grading
service (PCGS # 8905)
Estimated Value.................................. $75,000-UP
Ex. US Gold from a prominent midwestern family
collection.