Heritage World Coin Auctions
Dallas Signature US Coin Sale 1253 4-6 Apr 2017
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Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles
1908-S $20 MS66 NGC. The 22,000-piece mintage of the 1908-S is one of the lowest in the entire Saint-Gaudens double eagle series, trailing only the Ultra High Relief and High Relief. It is the lowest mintage of any With Motto Saint-Gaudens double eagle. As with many San Francisco dates, a surprisingly large number of coins entered the channels of commerce. Of the 1,050 or so pieces certified by NGC and PCGS, the vast majority (66%) are in circulated grades.
While the 1908-S is challenging in terms of the absolute numbers available, a fair number are seen in Mint State, especially the lower levels thereof. Approximately 225 pieces have been certified in the MS60 to MS62 grade range, and even Select and near-Gem specimens total about 90 coins. Gem-quality examples (MS65 to MS67), however, account for just 43 coins among the certified population (2/17). Of course, a number of these figures may represent resubmitted coins.
High-end Mint State examples of this issue are popular among gold collectors because of their strong visual appeal. The 1908-S is generally known to have especially thick mint frost and rich coloration. The current Premium Gem offering fits this profile perfectly. Its frosted surfaces yield pleasing luster and honey-gold patina tinted with subtle mint-green, rose, and apricot. In addition, a well-executed strike leaves virtually complete delineation on the design elements.
Crispness shows on the panes of the Capitol building, for example, as well as on Liberty's facial features, fingers, toes, and gown lines, and on the eagle's plumage. A couple of faint marks on Liberty's breast and one in the upper part of the eagle's left wing are mentioned solely for identification purposes, as they do not detract in the least from the impeccably preserved surfaces. It may be some time before one might again encounter a 1908-S twenty with the technical quality and aesthetic appeal of this Premium Gem specimen. Census: 5 in 66, 1 finer (2/17).
Ex: Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 5/2009), lot 2011.
HID02901242017
1908-S $20 MS66 NGC. The 22,000-piece mintage of the 1908-S is one of the lowest in the entire Saint-Gaudens double eagle series, trailing only the Ultra High Relief and High Relief. It is the lowest mintage of any With Motto Saint-Gaudens double eagle. As with many San Francisco dates, a surprisingly large number of coins entered the channels of commerce. Of the 1,050 or so pieces certified by NGC and PCGS, the vast majority (66%) are in circulated grades.
While the 1908-S is challenging in terms of the absolute numbers available, a fair number are seen in Mint State, especially the lower levels thereof. Approximately 225 pieces have been certified in the MS60 to MS62 grade range, and even Select and near-Gem specimens total about 90 coins. Gem-quality examples (MS65 to MS67), however, account for just 43 coins among the certified population (2/17). Of course, a number of these figures may represent resubmitted coins.
High-end Mint State examples of this issue are popular among gold collectors because of their strong visual appeal. The 1908-S is generally known to have especially thick mint frost and rich coloration. The current Premium Gem offering fits this profile perfectly. Its frosted surfaces yield pleasing luster and honey-gold patina tinted with subtle mint-green, rose, and apricot. In addition, a well-executed strike leaves virtually complete delineation on the design elements.
Crispness shows on the panes of the Capitol building, for example, as well as on Liberty's facial features, fingers, toes, and gown lines, and on the eagle's plumage. A couple of faint marks on Liberty's breast and one in the upper part of the eagle's left wing are mentioned solely for identification purposes, as they do not detract in the least from the impeccably preserved surfaces. It may be some time before one might again encounter a 1908-S twenty with the technical quality and aesthetic appeal of this Premium Gem specimen. Census: 5 in 66, 1 finer (2/17).
Ex: Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 5/2009), lot 2011.
HID02901242017