1880 $3, DCAM PR(PCGS#98044)

The August 2013 Chicago ANA World's Fair of Money

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

4467

等级

PR65

价格

313,401

详细说明

Breathtakingly Beautiful Gem Proof 1880 Three-Dollar Gold 1880 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. Proof-65 Deep Cameo (PCGS). CAC. A simply exquisite specimen, both sides exhibit even orange-gold patina and sharp field to device contrast. The design is fully rendered, testament to the care with which this coin was struck, and the smooth-looking surfaces also attest to the care with which it has been preserved over the years. It would be difficult for us to imagine a more desirable survivor of this classic Proof gold issue and, indeed, this beautiful Gem is one of the two finest examples known to PCGS. The Philadelphia Mint struck just 36 Proof three-dollar gold pieces in 1880, 20 on February 14 and a further 16 pieces in September. Writing in the excellent 2005 reference The United States $3 Gold Pieces: 1854-1889, Q. David Bowers and Doug Winter estimate that 24 to 30 examples have survived to the present day. This total constitutes much of the original mintage, to be sure, but the authors also suggest that a fair number of these coins are impaired from having been placed into circulation by earlier generations of collectors. While it may be difficult to imagine such a scenario in the rare coin market of the 21st century, during the final decades of the 19th century the numismatic value of Proofs such as this was not much more than the face value. Consequently, an expertly preserved Gem Proof 1880 three-dollar gold piece, as here, is a very rare coin that would serve as highlight in the finest cabinet. PCGS# 98044. Provenance: From the RLS Collection. PCGS Population: just 2; and none are finer in any category.