1904 Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC.A gorgeous Gem, both sides are highly lustrous with satiny rose-gold surfaces. Expectably smooth for the assigned grade, and conditionally scarce for this quintessential type issue in the Liberty Head double eagle series. This is the highest mintage circulation strike double eagle of its design type, the mintage 6,256,699 pieces for a face value of $125,133,980. By the early 20th century gold coins no longer actively circulated within the United States, except for limited use on the West Coast, which needs were easily met by the San Francisco Mint. As such, it seems that most examples of this Philadelphia Mint issue were used in international commerce, generally in the form of shipment to England or France. Hundreds of thousands of these coins returned to the United States beginning after World War Two, the 1904 now far and away the most plentiful issue of its type in Mint State. At the MS-65 level, as here, the 1904 enjoys particularly strong demand for inclusion in high grade type and date sets. This is a beautiful coin, and it is sure to sell for a strong bid.From the Fairmont Collection.
