Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 63

The Pre-Long Beach Auction of US, World Coins and Currency

$20 St. Gaudens

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1804		1907. High Relief, Roman Numerals, Wire Rim. NGC graded MS-67. Star. A stunning superb gem example exhibiting beaming golden yellow surfaces deepening at the extreme borders. A spectacular star-rated gem whose razor-sharp devices rise like a phoenix bird from the pure-as-gold satiny surface. The fields and devices glow with an almost surreal golden radiance due to the pristine nature of the surface; there are neither handling marks nor spotting of any kind to impair coin's originality. If you as an advanced or specialist collector have been hankering for a first class example of America's most beautiful gold coin, one whose immense presence and technical excellence would be almost impossible to improve on, you will want to ready a bid for this Mint State 67 High Relief. Superb! As was true of the 1907 Indian designs for the $10 gold Eagle, the present Saint-Gaudens-inspired masterpiece was the end product of President Theodore Roosevelt's orchestration with the most famous American sculptor at the time. As originally envisioned, the mint would redo the entire spectrum of American coinage from the lowly bronze one-cent piece through the noble golden double eagle. In correspondence, Saint-Gaudens felt the 1857 Flying Eagle cent was the finest motif found on any American coin, which is probably the reason he chose a similar eagle for his High Relief $20 gold reverse. Pop 1; 3 finer, 1 in 67+Star, 1 in 68, 1 in 68 Star . Estimated Value $90,000 - 100,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $123,625
Lot 1805		1907. High relief, Roman numerals, flat rim. PCGS graded MS-65 PQ. Well struck with gorgeous natural golden toning. Wonderful eye-appeal thus our Premium Quality designation. On many occasions we offer several High Relief Double Eagles in thrice-yearly Pre-Long Beach sale, and yet we are seldom given the opportunity to catalog an example that grades as fine as this quality Gem specimen. This truly is a lovely coin. The smooth, satiny fields are undisturbed by even the smallest copper spot, and we are also unable to locate a single abrasion that is noteworthy. Both sides are saturated in vivid golden color that further adds things to admire given the already impressive eye appeal. In brief, this is a coin that would endear itself to the advanced collector who demands nothing but the finest quality for the grade for his collection of U.S. gold coins. High Relief Twenties were struck with five blows from the working dies on the Mint's medal press (not its normal coining press). this coin displays the result in its exquisite sharpness of definition on all features. It also exhibits a flat rim, a feature that differentiates it from a fair number of other survivors of this issue, which display a wire rim. According to Walter Breen, approximately 3,000 High Relief Double Eagles were delivered in November 1907 with a flat rim. The balance of the mintage, about 8,250 pieces, was struck in December of the same year with a wire rim. To close this discussion, and to reiterate, the surface quality is truly extraordinary, and both sides retain their virtually blemish-free sheen even under close inspection with a glass. Pop 103; 47 finer (PCGS # 9136) . Estimated Value $39,000 - 42,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $47,150
Lot 1806		1907. Flat relief, Arabic numerals. PCGS graded MS-64. Rich golden mint luster, a real beauty! Scarcer than the 1908-P No Motto design and always appreciated for being the first year of issue (PCGS # 9141) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,185
Lot 1807		1908. No motto. NGC graded MS-67 Wells Fargo Nevada Gold. Delicate mint bloom colors add to its appeal. This is a lovely, healthy-glowing Superb Gem, whose full-color obverse and reverse being essentially untoned, beams with frosty luster. Regarding this No Motto date, the clearest details are found throughout the peripheral areas and also encompassing the key centers which are crystal clear as noted in Liberty's face and sandal, the eagle's breast and wing plumage (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $6,900
Lot 1808		1908. No motto. NGC graded MS-67 Wells Fargo Nevada Gold. A lustrous superb golden gem specimen. Creamy luster and rich vibrant-gold color with none of the usual tiny alloy spots on the obverse. This is a nicely struck example exhibiting, as well, with fine detail to all the high points. Superb! (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $6,900
Lot 1809		1908. No motto. ICG graded MS-66. Frosty with light toning, a delightful gem of this two-year No Motto design featuring the reduced relief on Liberty and eagle from dies modified by chief engraver George T. Morgan. Estimated Value $2,100 - 2,200. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,300
Lot 1810		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-65 PQ CAC Approved. In an old green label Wells Fargo holder. Gleaming warm golden color streaks across the fields of this handsome gem. This group of 1908 twenties is the highest quality old bank hoard ever sold. Some 19,000 pieces were in the hoard, all No Motto issue of 1908. Many Gems and higher level were graded according to the distributor of the hoard. The dates printed on the original bank bags in which they were stored showed them to have been salted away in 1917! Uncleaned and fresh, they are today popular options to collecting the double eagle series of gold coins. The name "Wells Fargo" was chosen since they stored for a time in a Wells Fargo Bank in Nevada, whose name has since been attached to the hoard by PCGS's inclusion of the title on the holders (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,530
Lot 1811		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-65. In an old green label Wells Fargo holder, and another outstanding Gem with blooming fresh color (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,300
Lot 1812		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-65. In an old green label Wells Fargo holder. The otherwise golden-fresh color deepens to warm-gold shadings in select areas. Struck with exactitude typically found on a P-mint No Motto $20 (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,645
Lot 1813		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-64. Light even toning over both sides. In 1907 and 1908 only, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was left off the $20 gold coins (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,600 - 1,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,783
Lot 1814		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-63. Frosty and delicately toned to a pinkish gold hue (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. The Frank McCarthy Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,581
Lot 1815		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-63. Frosty (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,639
Lot 1816		1908. No motto. PCGS graded MS-62 (PCGS # 9142) . Estimated Value $1,350 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,610
Lot 1817		1908. With motto. NGC graded MS-65. An untoned satiny mint gem. The surfaces are virtually immaculate. While the 1908 No Motto pieces are fairly well spread over the grading spectrum, the opposite is the case with the prized 1908 With Motto strikes. Check out the low census figures below! We report tremendous detail from a very positive strike, which collectors like better to see than halfhearted detail; furthermore, the surfaces show wonderful golden hues. No need to worry about an unsuccessful strike left by the rebound of the dies that coined this -- something that plagues some No Mottos but fortunately is avoided in the With Mottos -- since even a cursory examination of the piece reveals nice clarity of detail, including the centers. Pop 19; 11 finer (PCGS # 9147) . Estimated Value $15,000 - 17,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1818		1908-D. With motto. PCGS graded MS-65. Well struck with gorgeous reddish-golden toning. A worthwhile gem by any standard, the luster is not in the least timid or yielding, while lovely hues blossom across both sides. The strike, like the luster, is confident, sturdy, unyielding, indeed, as bold as ever seen on virtually any date in the series. And unlike its 1908 No Motto counterparts, the 1908-D With Motto is definitely scarce in Gem quality, as these numbers make public: Pop 314; 29 finer, 1 in 65+, 25 in 66, 3 in 67 (PCGS # 9148) . Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1819		1908-S. With motto. PCGS graded MS-62. Rich golden toning. A very scarce low mintage date. Only 22,000 minted. A appreciably select example of this well-known low-mintage rarity. The present specimen has finely grained satiny luster over warm gold surfaces. The striking is exquisitely sharp, reflecting full obverse and reverse design details. The 1908-S has a rich history in numismatics, including auction appearances. By 1908, the date of gold coins was incorporated into the master die, with the result that there is no difference among working dies. However, the mintmark (S or D as the case may be) was entered by a hand punch. On the 1908-S offered here the S is located above and slightly left of center of the 0 (1908), between two rays, and tilts slightly to the left. Pop 53; 75 finer (PCGS # 9149) . Estimated Value $13,000 - 14,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1820		1909. PCGS graded MS-64. Natural soft gold toning on both sides. Heavy mint frost. Well struck and lustrous with extremely choice surfaces. In more respects than one, the dies left their rigid impression behind without even the slightest weakness or imprecision, only a few 1909 Philly Mint $20s are ever found this way. Sharp, even at the centers. Scarce date in high grade. Pop 229; 30 finer (PCGS # 9150) . Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1821		1910-S and 1920. VF-20. Both coins have been cleaned. Lot of 2 coins. Estimated Value $2,500 - 2,600. View details	Realized $2,990
Lot 1822		1913-S. PCGS graded MS-63. Nicely toned. Low mintage date as only 34,000 were minted. There are a few light bagmarks on the devices and fields diminishing the luster brilliance marginally to the choice level from the gem status seen on a coin just leaving the dies. That said, this is definitely choicer than average for any date $20 Saint-Gaudens piece. A quick glance at the mintage figures in the Guide Book reveal 1913-S to have among the lowest in the series. One can wonder why and offer opinions. In this instance there is a comparison to be made with the similarly low mintage 1913-S Barber quarter dollar, of which only 40,000 were produced. Yet other 1913-S issues aren't overly noteworthy, so why these two? Be that as it may, the 1913-S has long posed a challenge to the eager Double Eagle buyer looking to score a fresh, original toned and uncleaned specimen. This is it! (PCGS # 9163) . Estimated Value $3,500 - 3,800. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,370
Lot 1823		1914-S. NGC graded MS-66. Lovely delicate golden toning. In an old NGC holder. An appealing fresh golden-fresh specimen, well struck, and unmarred by discoloration or heavy contact marks. Quite difficult to encounter in this nice a grade showing full MS66-level luster and bloom. At the same time that the luster blossoms, substantial detail reveals itself on the highpoints of this exceptional example. Pop 142; 7 finer (PCGS # 9166) . Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1824		1915. PCGS graded MS-64 CAC Approved. Frosty with a hint of natural tone. A frosted golden specimen that has a good eye-appeal and beaming luster. Circumstances with the bloom off the dies being what it is, sharp-edged devices and lettering throughout also add nicely to the coin's merit. A low mintage P-mint date struck in a time when the world Gold Standard had been suspended due to the outbreak of the First World War. (America remained as the only major world power on the gold standard throughout the years 1914-18.) Pop 271; 42 finer (PCGS # 9167) . Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $6,325
Lot 1825		1915. PCGS graded MS-64. Well struck and quite frosty and in our opinion, a Premium Quality coin for the grade. Several P-mint issues in the 1909-15 period are noteworthy for their low mintage vis a vis the D or S production figures from the same years. 1915-P is one that has long been described as elusive in all grades. This is even more the case for a choice, glowing MS64 like the present offering. Only 152,000 were made. Pop 271; 5 in 64+, 36 in 65, 1 in 65+ (PCGS # 9167) . Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,738
Lot 1826		1915-S. PCGS graded MS-65. Well struck, fully lustrous with hints of delicate golden toning. A glorious Gem! (PCGS # 9168) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,415
Lot 1827		1916-S. PCGS graded MS-65. Nice and satiny with light golden toning, the popular collectable San Francisco Mint issue of 1916, the only mint striking $20 gold pieces (and $5 and $10 gold) this year. No double eagles would be made again by the U.S. government until 1920 due to the economic stringency of World War I (PCGS # 9169) . Estimated Value $2,200 - 2,300. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,530
Lot 1828		1916-S. PCGS graded MS-63. Lovely toning and quite choice for the given grade (PCGS # 9169) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,783
Lot 1829		1920-S. PCGS graded MS-64. In a new PCGS shield holder. Well struck and frosty with hues of golden-orange and olive. We are pleased as can be to have been awarded this extremely rare coin for auction. Throw away the mintage figures since, of the 558,000 struck, perhaps no more than a few score survive today in all grades. The rest were melted or otherwise lost. This date is so rare that Breen estimated the number to survive at 8-12 when he compiled the information for his Encyclopedia in the 1970s (the book was published in 1988). Today, with the advantage of the PCGS and NGC Population Reports a fair number (but not a large number) have been graded by PCGS and NGC services. The census no doubt includes some duplication between them, so the total might be adjusted downward. This attractive MS64 is one of the best, as PCGS reports only 13 this high, with four graded higher! Carefully struck for the date, with full details on the devices, and just a minor scattering of ticks limiting this from full gem status. Identifiable by a small above the 20 in the date and another, among several, below the lowermost leaves of the branch in Liberty's outstretched hand. Also a couple of parallel scuffs on the upper curve of one wing on the reverse. Booming luster and a wonderful example for the specialist to purchase for a date set. One of the centerpieces among the double eagle offerings in this sale, we feel it is destined for similar distinction in an advanced collection of this beautifully rendered gold series. Pop 10; 1 in 64+, 4 in 65, 2 in 66 (PCGS # 9171) . The history of this 1920-S issue is sad but interesting. As is the case with other $20 gold pieces struck during the Roaring 'Twenties and early 'Thirties, mainly these were stored in bank vaults as backing for checking account deposits and Gold Certificates, the principal "hard money" back then. Gold $20s and gold bars were also the principal export medium in hard-money specie payments for imports. People have forgotten that under a gold standard (which ended in 1933), paper money and checking deposits weren't money at all but were commonly termed "money substitutes" or "promised money" payable on demand in the monetary metal. They were described as such in the college textbooks. All went fairly well but with emerging distress in the system when, at the depths of the Great Depression, a February to March 1933 banking panic caused the Roosevelt administration to withdraw gold from circulation. The amount withdrawn is estimated at $2.8 billion (or approximately. $130 billion at today's gold price). Whatever coins resided in the banks and at the various sub-Treasury buildings around the country were transferred to the government's account. In their place were issued Series of 1929 Federal Reserve Bank Notes. Numismatists may remember these from their brown seal and serial numbers. These had the backing of The Full Faith and Credit of the Government instead of hard assets. (Most 1920-S twenties that weren't exported from this group now owned by the government were melted beginning in 1937, to be turned into heavy 400-oz. "Coin-Gold" .900 Fine bars that are today stored in such depositories as Fort Knox. Gold ownership was re-legalized in January 1975, through an act of congress.). Estimated Value $120,000 - 130,000. Ex Hesselgesser Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1830		1922. PCGS graded MS-65. Sparkling with golden mint luster, a Gem by any definition of the term. In light of that, we can also say this piece is nicely struck with extremely full details on both sides. Pop 1183; 10 finer, 3 in 65+, 7 in 66 (PCGS # 9173) . Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,200. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1831		1922. PCGS graded MS-63. Frosty and lightly toned. Common enough in low to middle Mint State grades, 1922-P is one of those issues whose price rises exponentially once the MS65 to MS66 barrier is breached (PCGS # 9173) . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,450. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,639
Lot 1832		1922. PCGS graded MS-62. Mostly untoned (PCGS # 9173) . Estimated Value $1,350 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,610
Lot 1833		1922. PCGS Genuine, filed rims. Our grade is MS-60 with an obverse flaw in the field (PCGS # 9173) . Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,524
Lot 1834		1922. AU-50. We note some minor rim nicks. A lustrous coin; relatively affordable in this grade but becomes prohibitively expensive in higher gem grades. Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,610
Lot 1835		1922-S. NGC graded MS-65. A brilliant untoned gem specimen. In modern times many 1922-S double eagles have appeared on the auction scene, in sharp contrast to the vaunted rarity of the variety in early times. Most are in Mint State 60 to 63, however, and bagmarked; anything finer remains a rarity. While somewhat over 1,000 examples are estimated to exist, the floating supply in the market at any one time is very small, confirming the great demand for key date Saint-Gaudens double eagles and also the fact that many are in the major collections -- or in the hands of investors for the most part who are not an active part of the coin collecting fraternity. It seems likely that most of the 1922-S coins were retained in the United States and melted in 1937. However, thousands were exported. This was an ideal situation for the numismatists, as foreign banks held in reserve many coins that would have been destroyed had they remained in America. The 1922-S double eagle used to be in the "impossible" category, in point of fact. In recent generations quite a few have returned from overseas, making the variety obtainable. To reiterate: high grades, especially gem preservation as offered here, remain very difficult to obtain. Given the extensive experience of NGC, dating back to 1980s, only eleven other certification events have taken place at this level (not necessarily representing different coins), and just three higher. For the specialist in Saint-Gaudens twenties the present coin is a rare catch, one of the highlights of the $20 gold selection in our present sale. Pop 12; 3 finer in 66 (PCGS # 9174) . Estimated Value $40,000 - 45,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1836		1923. PCGS graded MS-65. Lovely natural golden toning with an aura of lovely reddish pink around Liberty. In a new shield holder. A common date in lower grades and quite scarce as a gem, this one being a blazing gem by all measures. Pop 362; 2 in 66. (PCGS # 9175) . Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,025
Lot 1837		1923-D. PCGS graded MS-64. Lovely reddish-gold mint bloom colors with the full, beautiful luster this D-mint issue is famous for (PCGS # 9176) . Estimated Value $1,600 - 1,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,898
Lot 1838		1923-D. PCGS graded MS-62 PQ. Housed in an Old Green Holder (PCGS # 9176) . Estimated Value $1,350 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,610
Lot 1839		1924. PCGS graded MS-65. Well struck with lively light toning. A Premium Quality Gem coin that should be a point higher (PCGS # 9177) . Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,100. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,185
Lot 1840		1924. PCGS graded MS-65. A nice frosty coin and a suitable Gem for someone wishing to own one or several Gem BU Saints (PCGS # 9177) . Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,100. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,070
Lot 1841		1924. PCGS graded MS-64. Housed in a First Generation Holder. Nicely toned (PCGS # 9177) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. The Wayne Fowler Estate. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,754
Lot 1842		1924. PCGS graded MS-63 PQ CAC Approved. A beauty with full mint bloom colors. A Premium Quality coin for the grade in a 1st generation PCGS holder. The 1924 issue, along with 1927 & 1928, has some of the snappiest luster for a given grade in this popular series. Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,450. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,668
Lot 1843		1924. Sharpness of MS-60. Cleaned years ago. Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,524
Lot 1844		1924. PCGS Genuine, scrached on reverse. Our grade is MS-64 with a fine pin scratch on the reverse. 1400. Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,553
Lot 1845		1924. PCGS Genuine, cleaned. Our grade is MS-62 with lovely natural reddish-golden color (PCGS # 9177) . Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,581
Lot 1846		1924. Sharpness of AU-50 and Cleaned (PCGS # 9177) . Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,250. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,553
Lot 1847		1924-D. PCGS graded MS-62. Lovely golden sunset toning adds to its appeal. A scarce date missing from most collectiions. Most were probably retained in the United States and melted in the mid-1930s. However, at least a couple thousand were exported. Today, the 1924-D is quite scarce. However, offerings are frequent, due to a combination of more pieces being available and the curious situation, prevalent throughout numismatics, of buyers taking home a piece from an auction, then putting it back on the market soon thereafter. Sometimes a rare double eagle will do quite a bit of traveling around until it finds a lasting home. Pop 136 (PCGS # 9178) . Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,370
Lot 1848		1925-D. NGC graded MS-65. A nice frosty coin. Very scarce date. Like the 1924-D twenty, the 1925-D also had its rarity level lowered since the mid-20th century by the emergence of a few small hoards overseas. While both dates are similar in overall rarity, the edge in high grades such as this resplendent MS65 goes to the 1925-D. We have not offered a Gem for a year or so, yet we have no need to remind bidders that an MS65 example appearing at auction is an event worth remembering. Typically well impressed for the issue, the devices rise boldly above the fields with solid overall definition. The luster is frosty throughout, the surfaces bathed (dare we say "refreshed") by original reddish-gold color. A tiny set of marks occurs to the right of Liberty's hip; this is the only worthwhile pedigree marker to use. Regarded coolly, without moving from the chair in which you are seated reading this, we can honestly say that to find another beautiful gem like this, especially at the incredible visual level this coin supplies the viewer, is an undertaking not to be ignored. We could make a big show of it, but will just say that bidders might as well hope to climb Mount Everest or book passage on the first Branson flight to the Moon! Liberty seemingly glides forth from a rich glowing orange rose aura into the bright golden dawn, while a whisper of the same lovely orange and warm gold hues spreads throughout the eagle's plumage on the reverse. Do not let the mintage figure of more than 2.9 million pieces dissuade you; it fails to take into account that most pieces were stored in bank vaults or at the various Treasury buildings and Federal Reserve Banks in the late 1920s and early 1930s. During the gold recall of 1933-34, nearly all the issue was put behind locked doors and later melted (1933-37). The gold bars that resulted were interred in Fort Knox (1937). Only a few individual pieces escaped the melting furnaces. Indeed, the 1925-D double eagle was once considered to be a major rarity. It was only after a few had been brought back from Europe that the price declined and now is within the reach of advanced collectors. Before this time, only an extremely wealthy individual on a par with Andrew Mellon or Edward Green could hope to obtain one. The present Gem gets our nod (and NGC's stamp of approval) for physical originality and attractiveness. It belongs in a world-class collection. Pop 7; 1 finer in 66 (PCGS # 9181) . Estimated Value $65,000 - 75,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1849		1925-D. PCGS graded MS-63. Delicate golden-olive and pinkish-gold toning on both sides. A very scarce date missing from most collections. Like the 1924-D, the 1925-D also had its rarity ranking readjusted since the mid-20th century by the emergence of a few small hoards overseas. While both dates are similar in overall rarity, the edge in high grades goes to the 1925-D. We have not offered a near-Gem for quite some while, and we also have no record of an MS65 or MS66 example appearing at auction as far back as ten years. Typically well impressed for the issue, the devices rise boldly above the fields with solid overall definition. The luster is frosty in quality, and the surfaces are bathed in original reddish-gold color. A [blank] is seen on the [blank]; this is the only worthwhile pedigree marker. An very choice coin in many regards, especially at the visual level. Liberty seemingly strides from a faint mist of pale rose into the bright golden yellow sunlight, while a whisper of the similar color overlays the eagle's plumage on the reverse. Limited bagmarks are present (including one scuff in the sun rays below the eagle's leg), with a few scattered marks noted here and there on Liberty's calf and body for accuracy. None of those will draw your attention at first glance. More than 2.9 million pieces were made. Most were melted. That pretty much sums up this coin's elusive nature. The present MS63 gets bonus points for physical originality as well as the aesthetic pleasure it brings the viewer, while the strike is essentially as detailed as you will see on a circulation strike Saint-Gaudens double eagle of the With Motto persuasion. Pop 106; 123 in 64; 1 in 64+; 5 in 65; 2 in 66 (PCGS # 9181) . Estimated Value $8,500 - 9,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1850		1925-S. NGC graded MS-65. A sparkling untoned gem whose luster uncurls and spreads across the surface in effortless profusion.There is great similarity in the 1924-S and 1925-S Saints; both have had rarity rankings realigned since the mid-20th century after the emergence of a few small supplies turned up overseas. While both are popular with advanced collectors in this series, the edge in high grades clearly goes to the 1925-S. We have not offered many Gems in our auctions, for obvious reasons since Gems are few and far between. This handsome specimen is typically well impressed for the issue, the devices risen intrepidly and with all due prominence above the fields, including solid reference definition at Liberty's face, her knee, the toes, the gown folds; sliding next to the reverse, we see strong detail throughout the eagle's breast feathers and trailing wing feathers. There is much more we could write about the sharp relief, but this gives a fair outline of what is in store for eager bidders. As for the luster, this too is spectacular: frosty in quality, with the surfaces awash in vivid original reddish-golden color. A shallow diagonal mark is evident on Liberty's torso; also seen, a pair of similar diagonal ticks along the upper curve of one wing of the eagle. These are the only notable pedigree markers. Belief is that only 275-330 1925-S $20s have survived the gold recall of the early-to-mid 1930s. Pop 2; 2 finer with 1 in 66, 1 in 67 (PCGS # 9182) . 1925 was a busy time for the historian to talk about. For one thing, Harry Houdini, the famous magician, was at the pinnacle of his career, while in the deep South, there was a spectacular Florida land boom going on (which crashed the year following this after an unexpected hurricane blew through and devastated the region along with all the false hopes that investors had had for an easy "Put Only 10% Down" profit). Meanwhile, a few hundred miles away and inland from Florida in 1925 occurred the remarkable Scopes Monkey Trial, when two high-priced lawyers of the day battled in the courts to discover whether mankind really is just a higher form of ape. The trial in the friendly sociable town of Dayton, Tennessee, made headlines around the world and put this little spot on the map on the front pages for all time. In fact, it made quite a show during an otherwise broiling hot summer that year, with the pious William Jennings Bryan on one side fighting the State's case against an avowed atheist, Clarence Darrow, lawyer for the defense. In the end, the "defendant," a school teacher by the name of John Scopes, was found guilty for teaching evolution to his high school class and fined $100 for breaking a law which prohibited such instruction. (The fine was afterwards rescinded on a technicality.) As Wikipedia describes it: "The trial drew intense national publicity, with modernists pitted against traditionalists over the teaching of evolution in the schools and a Fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible. The trial proved a critical turning point in the American creation-evolution controversy." Such is the environment in which this handsome $20 gold piece entered the world. It, at least in numismatic circles, has become a legend in its own right! Estimated Value $120,000 - 130,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1851		1926. PCGS graded MS-62. Nice and frosty (PCGS # 9183) . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,450. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,593
Lot 1852		1926-D. PCGS graded MS-62. Light golden-olive toning. One of the Key Dates in the series. We have had the pleasure of auctioning a number of MS 60-65 examples from time to time, and we always find it enjoyable when a select specimen like this turns up. The surfaces are lustrous with with only light abrasions on either side. The striking details are well defined except on the toes of Liberty and the dome of the Capitol building. The entire coin has smooth, satiny luster with the above-mentioned golden patina. Pop 47; 75 finer (PCGS # 9184) . Historic Note: Just a fraction of the coins from this issue are believed to be extant, from an original mintage of more than 2 million pieces, and the Mint State population dwindles rapidly above the Choice level. When David Akers wrote about this issue in 1988, he stated "In every respect except one, the 1926-D is virtually identical in rarity to the 1925-S (The one area in which they differ is that the 1925-S is often seen in circulated condition whereas the 1926-D is nearly always seen only in Mint State.)" Today, the tide has shifted a bit in favor of the 1926-D. With regards to overall rarity, today the 1926-D is theoretically twice as rare as the 1925-S. With regards to conditional rarity, Akers observation that the '25-S is most often seen in circulated grades while the '26-D is seen in Mint State still is quite accurate in the sense that the larger number of circulated 1925-S issues accounts for the larger total population of the '25-S. In Mint State, the '25-S and '26-D actually have a very similar break down in each grade from MS-60 to MS-64 with the '25-S existing in higher superb gem grades than the '26-D. Population of 54 with 59 finer. Estimated Value $19,000 - 20,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1853		1927. NGC graded MS-67. A magnificent frosty Mint State Gem with wonderful free-flowing mint bloom colors. Exquisite detail, with all relief bold. Though a common date, the coin is superb in this virtually mark-free condition. Pop 50; none finer (PCGS # 9186) . Estimated Value $8,000 - 8,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold

Page 1 of 2

1 | 2