1891 $20 PR(PCGS#9107)

Spring 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

5467

等级

PR58

价格

168,113

详细说明

Desirable Proof 1891 Double Eagle 1891 Liberty Head Double Eagle. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6-. Proof-58 (PCGS). Rich orange-gold surfaces with heavily frosted motifs and deeply mirrored fields. Striking detail remains virtually full throughout the design, and it is mostly a plethora of small and moderate-size handling marks that explains the Proof-58 grade from PCGS. Still a visually appealing coin, a significant rarity as a Proof Liberty Head twenty irrespective of date, and of the utmost desirability given the key date status of the circulation strike 1891 Philadelphia Mint double eagle. The Philadelphia Mint produced just 52 Proof double eagles in 1891 using a single pair of dies that have recently become known as JD-1 (John w. Dannreuther, 2018). As with all issues in the Proof Liberty Head double eagle series, the 1891 is a major numismatic rarity at all levels of preservation. Dannreuther estimates that only 18 to 22 coins are extant, an estimate that is actually a bit higher than those of contemporary Proof double eagle issues with similar mintages. The reason for this, in Dannreuther's words: "The 1,390 mintage of the circulation strikes [from the Philadelphia Mint that year] makes date pressure the primary reason that more 1891 Proofs have survived than for 1890 that had an almost identical production. This is a common theme for all United States issues with low circulation strike outputs. Collectors would not spend a Proof issue if they knew that other collectors would pay a premium for their coins or they could not easily replace their Proof with a commercial strike." Now as then, the low mintage and key date status of the circulation strike 1891 double eagle keeps demand for the surviving Proofs high among advanced gold enthusiasts. Of course, the Proof 1891 is an impressive rarity in its own right with examples seldom appearing on the market. This is a particularly interesting offering in that it is for a coin whose appearance suggests a course of action virtually ruled out by Dannreuther's argument, as quoted above. Indeed, the surfaces are highly suggestive of a coin that was released into commercial channels and spent decades being moved from vault to vault in a bag with circulation strike double eagles. It survived nonetheless, and has come down to the present day retaining irrefutable evidence of its Proof status. The opportunity to acquire any Proof $20 of this date deserves serious bidder consideration, and we expect keen interest in this Fairmont Collection offering. Provenance: From the Fairmont Collection-Hendricks Set. PCGS# 9107. NGC ID: 26EC. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]