1854 Liberty Head Double Eagle. Small Date. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC.Smartly impressed with sharp to full striking detail, both sides also retain nearly complete luster in a softly frosted texture. Richly original with a blanket of warm and inviting medium gold patina, only the lightest trace of friction separates this premium quality example from a Mint State grade. The circulation strike 1854 double eagle was produced to the extent of 757,899 pieces for a face value total of $15,157,980, this mintage representing a significant reduction from the 1850 to 1853 era. Clearly the commencement of double eagle coinage at the San Francisco Mint in 1854 absorbed much of the gold bullion that would otherwise have been shipped to the Philadelphia and, to a lesser extent, New Orleans mints. The mintage for the 1854 is split between the Small Date style represented here and the very rare Large Date style offered later in this collection. Some 1,750 to 2,500 pieces is one estimate of the number of circulated survivors for the 1854 Small Date, with the preponderance of those in VF and EF, less frequently in AU. A formidable rarity in Mint State, this premium quality AU-58 represents a significant find for the collector of high grade double eagles.From the Fairmont Collection.
