This remarkably well preserved and attractive Gem belongs in the finest double eagle collection. Both sides are medium gold, expertly struck and very lustrous. The surfaces are exceptional and they clearly establish this coin as something special among survivors of both the issue and the type. We anticipate keen interest in this exquisite 1889-S twenty among gold specialists.As with most San Francisco Mint double eagles produced since the facilitys opening in 1854, the 1889-S had a generous mintage. Some 774,700 pieces were struck, and the issue has long numbered among the more readily obtainable Type III double eagles in circulated grades. Prior to the 1960s, however, the 1889-S was virtually unknown in Mint State. Only a few of the more significant numismatic collections that came to market beginning in the 1930s included a Mint State 1889-S double eagle, while others such as Roach, Flanagan, Baldenhofer and Melish had circulated pieces. Beginning in the 1960s, some Mint State examples were repatriated from overseas holdings, enough that the 1889-S can now be had with relative ease in grades up to and including MS-63. However, as a large-size coin struck in a soft coinage metal, the 1889-S remains rare with smooth, carefully preserved surfaces, as here. Indeed, the present example is a condition rarity of the highest order that would satisfy even the most discerning buyer.
