1928 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. MS-67 (PCGS).A vibrant fully struck Superb Gem specimen replete with a silky smooth surface texture highlighted by the rose-orange gold patination. Struck on the eve of the Great Depression, the 8,816,000 double eagles struck at Philadelphia proved to be by far the largest mintage for the series and the last readily available issue for the entire series. A significant portion were shipped abroad in international trade while a smaller quantity were paid out domestically. The massive Treasury melts of the 1930s took their toll on the coins that remained. The coins that sat in European and South American vaults fared better since the vast majority of the surviving specimens among those that returned stateside beginning in the 1940s and 1950s are uncirculated. The issue is readily available up through Gem Mint State and even above. However, at the Superb Gem Mint State level, the numbers diminish drastically; less than 10 grading events at the MS-67+ level have been recorded at both services combined and not a single one above. Even the most selective of connoisseurs would be hard pressed to locate a finer example.From our November 2015 Baltimore Rarities Night sale, lot 20147.
