LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 Jan. FUN Signature Coin Auction #454  / 

3444

1853 $20 Assay Office Twenty Dollar, 900 Thous.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:24,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1853 $20 Assay Office Twenty Dollar, 900 Thous.
<B>1853 $20 Assay Office Twenty Dollar, 900 Thous. MS64 PCGS.</B></I> K-18, R.2. All of the examples known are in reality 900 over 880. The top of the second 8 is still clearly visible under the first 0, while the first 8 shows scant traces, mostly as an extra loop visible inside the top loop of the 9.<BR> The 1853 .900 over .880 twenty dollar is much more common than the infrequently seen .884 1853, a piece issued, due to a shortage of parting acids, as an emergency issue in defiance of the Congressional edict that only .900 fine coins were acceptable for customs payments. The present piece, in MS64, however, is in an uncommonly high grade, one of only 16 coins so certified at PCGS, with only pieces finer at the next and highest level of MS65. The greenish-gold surfaces display strong cartwheel luster and relatively few marks for a Territorial gold coin. The eye appeal is enormous and the coin is of notable quality, truly demonstrating the remarkable progress that Curtis, Perry & Ward showed in making coins comparable to those of the U.S. Mint. <BR><I> </B></I>This piece, like the Kagin plate coin, displays missing top serifs on the I in UNITED (they are present on the I in AMERICA). Kagin notes that 30 different dies for the issue were lost in the San Francisco 1906 fire. Sufficient numbers of the issue exist, however, that a study of the different die varieties could be undertaken, which would be a fascinating project for some dedicated researcher. Listed on page 356 of the 2008 <I>Guide Book.</B></I><BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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