1857 Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (PCGS). CAC.

1857 Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (PCGS). CAC.，A scarce Mint State example of this Type I issue, both sides have rich luster and are painted in medium-gold hues. Contact marks are far fewer than expected on an MS-60 double eagle. In our opinion, if all MS-60 coins were this nice there would be no reason to seek MS-63 coins. The portrait is far above average in strike with just a few hints of weakness. The stars are bold except for a tiny bit of lightness on stars 5 and 6. The dentils are full and the revere is needle sharp. The mintage for the date was 439,375 pieces, up nearly 110,000 pieces from the preceding years tally at Philadelphia. Face value for the issue amounted to $8,787,500. Perhaps just 40 to 60 or so different Mint State examples are extant, with nearly all at the MS-60 level or moderately finer. Anything above MS-60 can be considered a condition rarity for the date. The present example offers a coalescence of eye appeal and rarity that is seldom encountered on examples of this vintage. With earlier provenance to the Browning/Dallas Bank sale, the desirability of this piece is immense for Liberty Head gold enthusiasts!，Ex H. Jeff Browning; our (Stacks, in conjunction with Sothebys) sale of the Dallas Bank Collection, October 2001, lot 18; our sale of the Gilded Age Collection, August 2014, lot 12015. The plate coin in Q. David Bowers book U.S. Liberty Head $20 Double Eagles -- The Gilded Age of Coinage, page 93.，