3599

1909-D $20 MS65 PCGS. This issue''s original mintage o 1909-D[$20] MS65 PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:850.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1909-D $20 MS65 PCGS. This issue''s original mintage o 1909-D[$20] MS65 PCGS.
<B>1909-D<$20> MS65 PCGS.</B></I> This issue's original mintage of 52,500 pieces is the fourth lowest in the Saint-Gaudens series, after the 1907 High Relief, 1908-S, and 1913-S. At one time, numismatists considered that the '09-D was virtually unobtainable in Mint State. The emergence of a small hoard in Central America now means that advanced collectors can acquire a BU or Select quality representative with some patience and a decent amount of money. Near-Gems and Gems are still, however, rare, and even the right amount of money does not guarantee that one will be able to acquire an example in a reasonable amount of time. That said, advanced Double Eagle collectors would be wise to take full advantage of the opportunity that this PCGS-certified Gem represents. The luster is well frosted throughout with a rich endowment of reddish-gold and mint-green coloration. For the type, the strike is bold, and, although slightly abraded, both sides are uncommonly smooth for a gold coin of this size. NGC and PCGS have seen just 16 coins of this mintmarked date in MS65, with a mere 5 specimens finer (11/05).<BR> Interestingly, this also appears to be a possible example of the D over D variety discovered by Dave Bowers in 1988, and described by him this way in the Norweb Collection Part III catalog: "Under magnification, to the right of the mintmark is seen a veritable "bird's nest" of curly lines, raised lines in the coin, indicating these lines were in the die-a quite fascinating situation. Under magnification, there appears a tiny 'D' mintmark under the regular-sized letter. It is likely that this tiny D was punched by error. Some of these grinding marks are what remain today as curlicues. Then the regular-sized wide D mintmark was overpunched."<BR><I>From The Delbert McDougal Set of $20 Saint-Gaudens Coins.</B></I>