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1921 $20 St. Gaudens PCGS MS62

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:85,000.00 USD Estimated At:170,000.00 - 190,000.00 USD
1921 $20 St. Gaudens PCGS MS62
<Our item number 136739><B>1921 &#36;20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-62.</B> A frosty mint example with light golden-orange toning. Light chatter marks are noted on both sides, none of which are noteworthy. A naturally toned Brilliant Uncirculated example and well within the narrow margins of the &#34;Choice&#34; category. Gleaming effervescent luster with its wisp toning boosts the visual attractiveness of the coin with its residual cartwheel frost. A few scattered marks as noted are to be found on the obverse, including a small one at the thigh and another in the field to the left of the torch end, while the reverse boasts a much fresher appearance that is almost bereft of marks.<BR><BR>Broadly speaking, there are three classes of double eagles: common dates &#40;of which hundreds of thousands are known&#41;, scarce dates &#40;with a few hundred to a couple of thousand available, but not always seen in every auction&#41;, and then we have the truly rare dates. 1921 exemplifies the latter class. A decidedly l ow mintage of 528,500 pieces was produced in the depths of the short, deep post-World War I business depression. Like other twenties in those days, most of the 1921 issue was kept in storage in U.S. Treasury vaults and presumably melted after 1933, with only a few score reaching actual circulation. Fewer still were preserved in Mint State grades. David Akers&#39; research established that more than half of all extant specimens are in circulated grades, while most of the others grade no higher than Mint State 60. This coin&#39;s appreciably better status places it at High Rarity-7 in Akers&#39; rarity scale. <BR><BR>In terms of total pieces known, the 1921 is fourth rarest in the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series after the 1907 Ultra High Relief, 1927-D, and 1933. Although there may be more 1921 double eagles in numismatic collections, the date is more difficult to find in Mint condition than even the widely admired 1930-S and 1931-D. That makes this attractive Mint State 62 an offering of considerable importance to 21st century gold specialists. Be forewarned: Bidders may be surprised to feel a shrewd kick in their estimates arising from the other savvy competitors in the room hoping to snag it when this piece crosses the auction block. <B>Pop 23; 9 in 63, 3 in 64, 3 in 65, 1 in 66</B> <B>&#40;PCGS # 9172&#41;</B>. <BR>Estimated Value &#36;170,000 - 190,000. <BR><BR>Our item number 136739<BR><IMAGES><P ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/48jpegs/136739.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/48jpegs/136739N2.jpg"> </P></IMAGES>