1893-S $20 MS(PCGS#9024)

The Regency Auction 55

拍卖行

Legend Rare Coin Auctions

批号

204

等级

MS65

价格

414,911

详细说明

FROM THE EUEL DURWOOD JONES COLLECTION Legend Rare Coin Auctions is honored to offer this exceptional GEM 1893-S double eagle. This is arguably the FINEST KNOWN 1893-S double eagle that exists! This majestic GEM survivor has not been sold in auction since it appeared in the Sotheby's/Stack's sale of the Dallas Bank Collection in October 2001. This marvelous coin is also the plate coin for the date in David Akers' monumental reference on United States Gold Coins, which, while published decades ago, still serves as one of the standard references for U.S. gold coins. The "Dallas Bank Collection" was formed by H. Jeff Browing, who died in 1978 at the age of 45. From the time of his death, until 2001, his collection remained locked away in a Dallas, Texas bank vault. Most of the numismatic community knew little of the collection, save for references to it in David Akers' works on U.S. Gold Coinage. It was a fateful trip to Dallas in 1981 to visit with Harry W. Bass Jr. that Akers saw the collection and was able to take a look at the Browning Collection and take photographs that were used in his works. The monumental collection was an extensive set of U.S. Gold Coins from the first issues of 1795 to the end of regular issue U.S. gold in the early 1930s, including a nearly complete set of double eagles. Sotheby's and Stack's partnered to offer the collection, which featured the gold dollars, quarter eagles, three and four dollar gold pieces, eagles and double eagles (the half eagles had been sold previously, en bloc privately). The Browning Collection is one of those fabled collections, though it is often overshadowed by the Eliasberg and Bass Collections. Of the date, the 1893-S is not a rarity, nearly one million examples were struck; David Akers said it was "moderately scarce" and compared it to the 1879-S, 1882-S, 1885-S, 1888-S, 1892-S, 1901-S and 1905-S dates. A good number of lower grade uncirculated examples are known based on the PCGS and NGC Population and Census data; today, over 11,600 have been graded (no doubt with some duplicate and triplicate submissions over the years) in the MS60 to MS63 grades. The date becomes very challenging in MS63+ and MS64, and in GEM, as here, the date is EXCESSIVELY RARE. Somewhat tersely described back in the Dallas Bank Collection sale as: "CHOICE BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED, near Gem quality. The AKERS' PLATE COIN. Unquestionably one of the finest known. This coin exhibits full mint bloom with rich coppery toning around the protected areas on both sides. In discussing the issue, Akers described this coin: “I have seen a few really superb examples of this date, the finest being the nearly perfect coin shown above that is in a prominent Dallas bank collection.”" There really is not much to add twenty-one years later, though we will mention that while some double eagle issues have seen their Gem-grade populations grow as old holdings that were still buried deep within European and Latin American bank vaults made their way back stateside, no new GEM 1893-S double eagles have been discovered. This is an important opportunity for the advanced double eagle collector to add the FINEST known example to their collection. We are honored to hold a place in this amazing coin's history. Ex. H. Jeff Browning Collection (sometime prior to 1978); held in trust in a Dallas, Texas bank (1978-2001); Sotheby's & Stack's October 2001 sale of the Dallas Bank Collection, lot 119; unknown intermediaries; Euel Durwood Jones Collection. This coin serves as the David Akers Plate Coin The other MS65 graded by PCGS sold in Heritage's October 2012 (lot 6286), and the cataloger had this to say: "An unprecedented opportunity as a review of our past auctions fails to turn up a previous offering in MS65, and we are unable to find any auctions at this grade level among our competitors. Here is an incredible condition rarity for the connoisseur, and once this coin sells, another chance may not occur for many years, if ever. The only comparable coin is the Akers plate coin that was part of the Dallas Bank Collection sold in October 2001..." PCGS 2, NGC 0, CAC 1. The other PCGS MS65 (cited above) sold a decade ago, selling for $44,063 (not CAC). Our consignor purchased this coin privately around that same time. The current published levels, based on that decade old auction record will easily be surpassed when this impressive GEM crosses the block. We anticipate a very strong bid will be needed to take this one home. Good luck. Cert. Number 21015038 PCGS # 9024