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1876 $20 Twenty Dollar, Judd-1492, Pollock-1645

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1876 $20 Twenty Dollar, Judd-1492, Pollock-1645
1876 $20 Twenty Dollar, Judd-1492, Pollock-1645, Unique(?), PR64 Gilt PCGS. Pattern striking of the 1876 double eagle from a unique die pairing. Struck in copper and gilt with a plain edge. The first recorded appearance of this important pattern was in the Farouk Sale (Sotheby's, 1954). Apparently no one checked at the time, and no one noticed for another 28 years, that this piece was struck from a different set of dies than the Judd-1490 and 1491 patterns. In each edition of the Judd reference it was die linked to these other pieces. But in 1982 Carl Carlson discovered that the coin was struck from different dies than the other two patterns. This coin is distinguished by the 1 in the date being extremely close to the bust of Liberty, more so than on any other pattern, proof, or business strike of 1876. Carlson speculated in an article in Coin World at the time that this die was produced between the Judd-1488 and 1490 dies. These are both unique "transitional" patterns struck in gold. The first has a Type Three obverse and Type Two reverse, the other has a Type Two obverse and Type Three reverse. This piece must have been rejected immediately as having the date far too close to the bust. As such, it is unique in that it was struck from a different pair of dies than the other double eagle patterns of 1876. It is also the only plain edge pattern in this series, as well as being the only unique copper gilt twenty. The importance of such a coin would be difficult to overstate to the advanced gold or pattern collector. It is rarer than the famous half union pattern, and potentially more valuable. This piece has not been sold since 1982, when it was last sold in Herb Melnick's R.K. Hoffman Sale. The pattern itself has a bright, shimmering appearance, greatly resembling a cleaned gold coin. For pedigree purposes, there are three small, pinpoint digs below the date that serve as identifiers. A rare opportunity.Ex: Palace Collection / King Farouk (Sotheby's, 2/54), lot 1952; Masters Collection (RARCOA, 5/71), lot 398; Hoffman (H.I. Melnick, 11/82), lot 79. Important notice: Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid.