1884-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-63 (PCGS). CAC.Lustrous frosty surfaces with faint traces of semi-prooflike reflectivity evident in the fields as the coin dips into a light. This is a sharply struck, aesthetically pleasing example that would do nicely in a Choice type or date set. The mintage for this San Francisco Mint double eagle issue is 916,000 pieces ($18,320,000 face value). Similar to contemporary issues, many served in commerce, others were shipped overseas, and some were held in reserve for the redemption of Gold Certificates. David W. Akers accounted for dozens of Uncirculated examples in his 1982 double eagle treatise, and when Q. David Bowers penned his emGuide Book of Double Eagles/em in 2004 the estimate had grown to thousands, most of which are believed to have been repatriated to American collections from bank hoards.From the Fairmont Collection.