1871-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (NGC). CAC.This example offers impressive and significant Mint State preservation for an underrated condition rarity among Type II Liberty Head double eagles. Lively satin luster mingles with vivid rose-gold patina on both sides of this boldly to sharply struck coin. The mintage for the 1871-S double eagle is 928,000 pieces, a small number of which later found their way into foreign banking transactions. Many of the low-range Mint State pieces known today owe their existence to the return of those exported coins to America in the mid-20th century. We estimate that 50 to 80 Uncirculated examples can be accounted for today. Prior to the mid-20th century, the 1871-S was seldom seen in the marketplace, and few collections had a coin finer than EF or so. Even in todays market the offering of a solidly graded and aesthetically pleasing Mint State coin, as here, represents an important bidding opportunity for advanced gold enthusiasts.
