1912 $20 PR(PCGS#9209)
1912 $20 PR (PCGS#9209)
November 2021 Baltimore U.S. Coins auction
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 4140
- 等级
- PR65
- 价格
- 688,081
- 详细说明
- Regal Sand Blast Proof 1912 Double Eagle 1912 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-5. Proof-65 (NGC). Offered is a fascinating Gem example of a Proof double eagle type that Walter Breen once described as the caviar of numismatics. The particular sand blast technique that the Mint used to produce this coin imparted a soft golden-honey color, with a tinge of pale rose evident under a light. Close inspection with a loupe reveals a fine grain texture, characteristic of Sand Blast Proofs with lighter color, as here. Fully struck without so much as a single detracting blemish, even the most discerning numismatist will be impressed by this stunning rarity. Mintage of Proof double eagles in 1912 amounted to just 74 coins. This is the first issue in the Saint-Gaudens series with a slightly modified obverse design that includes two additional stars around the obverse periphery, in recognition of two more states (New Mexico and Arizona) joining the Union. Some of these coins likely failed to sell, while a few others may have suffered other ill effects associated with the contemporary public's disenchantment with the Sand Blast style of Proof production (much preferred were the Brilliant and Cameo Proofs struck as part of the earlier Liberty Head double eagle series). Even so, enough Proof 1912 coins were distributed, and subsequently preserved, that John W. Dannreuther (2018) considers this to be one of the more readily obtainable issues in the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series. The term "readily obtainable" is relative, of course, since in an absolute sense all Sand Blast Proof gold coins are rare. This specimen is among the finer certified of only 40 to 50 coins believed extant (per Dannreuther), and it is an outstanding representative of both the Saint-Gaudens double eagle type and Sand Blast Proof coinage in general. PCGS# 9209. NGC ID: 26GZ. Click here for certification details from NGC.