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

3383

1924-D $20 MS66 PCGS

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:110,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1924-D $20 MS66 PCGS
<B>1924-D $20 MS66 PCGS.</B></I> Ex: Carter/Duckor. What a difference a year makes in the unpredictable history of the remarkable Saint-Gaudens double eagle series! While the 1923-D issues are the poster children not only of Saint-Gaudens twenties in general but of the mintmarked coins in particular, before the mid-1950s the 1924-D was once considered quite rare. Today, with repatriations of a couple of thousand coins, the 1924-D is considered a medium rarity within the context of the series, about on par with the 1925-D and 1926-S issues. <BR> In 1923 the Denver Mint coined only silver dollars and double eagles, this a year after producing the notorious 1922 No D and Weak D cents. When the mint resumed the production of a full slate of coinage in 1924, it apparently was still attempting to make maximum use of the available dies. According to James L. Halperin, Mark Van Winkle, Jon Amato, and Gregory Rohan, the authors of <I>The Coinage of Augustus Saint-Gaudens as Illustrated by the Phillip H. Morse Collection, </B></I>"Striking characteristics vary, but many 1924-D twenties tend to show varying degrees of striking weakness, particularly at the peripheral areas. The dies were apparently kept in service for a long time during the production runs for this high mintage date. The couple of saved bags of coins alluded to earlier probably were struck from the latter die states of several die pairings."<BR> Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth note in their <I>Gold Encyclopedia,</B></I> "Survivors show strong luster and average strikes, but many have worn dies around the peripheries, as quality control was lacking (perhaps caused by the enormous amount of coins that were minted). To date, fewer than 1,000 examples have been certified, and a coin grading MS-64 is about as nice as a collector can hope to secure."<BR> Of course this coin has nothing to do with means, medians, or average strikes. It is a truly remarkable specimen, one of the two finest known to have survived both the melting pots at home and abroad and the ravages of excessive contact with other coins. Each side exhibits an even reddish-golden appearance, and the surfaces are satiny as would be expected for this date and mint. The strike is noticeably above-average, with sharp peripheral definition and well-defined feathers on the eagle's breast. Liberty's sandal reveals its customary but often overlooked heart-shaped clasp, and all of her toes are separated. <BR> Close examination reveals a few small abrasions: several on the figure of Liberty, one on the eagle's central feathers on the reverse. As an identifier, a group of three horizontal milling marks sits near the center of the sun at the base of the reverse. This is the second time we have had the pleasure of offering this phenomenal coin, and we are confident that it will become one of the cornerstones of a fine collection, as it has in past cabinets. Population: 2 in 66, none finer at either service (12/07).<BR><I>Ex: The Phillip H. Morse Collection of Saint-Gaudens Coinage (Heritage, 11/2005, lot 6667). <BR>From The Jacob Collection of Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles.</B></I><BR><BR><B>Coin Engraver:</B> Augustus Saint-Gaudens<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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