Heritage World Coin Auctions
FUN Signature US Coin Sale 1251 4-6 & 8-9 Jan 2017
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Liberty Double Eagles
1857-S $20 MS65 NGC. Variety 20A. Spiked Shield. Although not pedigreed to the S.S. Central America, this Gem 1857-S double eagle nonetheless possesses the distinct visual characteristics and exceptional high-grade quality for which the shipwreck coins are immediately identifiable. Prior to the 1980s, the 1857-S double eagle was a rarity in Mint State. But salvage operations of the Central America recovered more than 5,000 examples of the date, many remarkably preserved in the pristine condition in which they resided when loaded into the hold in 1857. The Central America recovery coins often show glistening yellow-gold interiors surrounded by a deeper halo of orange-gold peripheral color. Such is the appearance of the present coin, although the chief visual attribute of this piece is the exceptional preservation of the frosty luster. The strike is razor-sharp. A loupe reveals a few tiny ticks on Liberty's jaw that represent the only grade-limiting imperfections on the coin. Two die lines penetrating the left edge of the reverse shield identify the "Spiked Shield" variety, the most plentiful of the varieties found on the S.S. Central America.
From The Soluna Collection.
1857-S $20 MS65 NGC. Variety 20A. Spiked Shield. Although not pedigreed to the S.S. Central America, this Gem 1857-S double eagle nonetheless possesses the distinct visual characteristics and exceptional high-grade quality for which the shipwreck coins are immediately identifiable. Prior to the 1980s, the 1857-S double eagle was a rarity in Mint State. But salvage operations of the Central America recovered more than 5,000 examples of the date, many remarkably preserved in the pristine condition in which they resided when loaded into the hold in 1857. The Central America recovery coins often show glistening yellow-gold interiors surrounded by a deeper halo of orange-gold peripheral color. Such is the appearance of the present coin, although the chief visual attribute of this piece is the exceptional preservation of the frosty luster. The strike is razor-sharp. A loupe reveals a few tiny ticks on Liberty's jaw that represent the only grade-limiting imperfections on the coin. Two die lines penetrating the left edge of the reverse shield identify the "Spiked Shield" variety, the most plentiful of the varieties found on the S.S. Central America.
From The Soluna Collection.