1931-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC.This is an enchanting Gem with intense mint luster that mingles with vivid rose-orange patina. Striking detail is razor sharp throughout, and the surfaces are expectably smooth for the assigned grade. Rarer even than a limited mintage of 106,500 pieces might imply, the 1931-D is one of the key issues to completion of a Saint-Gaudens double eagle set. As with many gold issues from the 1920s and 1930s, the 1931-D saw the widespread destruction of undistributed examples in the years following President Franklin Delano Roosevelts gold recall of 1933. So elusive are survivors, in fact, that David W. Akers (A Handbook of 20th Century United States Gold Coins: 1907-1933, 2008 revision) speaks of a small cache of approximately 15 to 20 pieces that entered the numismatic market in the early 1980s as a hoard. With more than 150 coins believed extant in all grades, the 1931-D is just as rare as the 1920-S in an absolute sense, an example of which is also offered in this sale. There are more Mint State coins known for the 1931-D, to be sure, but nowhere near enough to satisfy demand from todays quality conscious gold specialists. One of many significant double eagle offerings in this sale, this 1931-D will be a prized addition to an advanced cabinet.From the A & A Saints Collection: the #5 All-Time Finest PCGS Registry Set of St. Gaudens $20 Gold Basic Set, Circulation Strikes. Earlier from Heritages sale of the Museum of Connecticut History Collection, June 1995 Long Beach Auction, lot 6033; Heritages sale of the Phillip H. Morse Collection of Saint-Gaudens Coinage, Part II, December 2005, lot 2081; Heritages sale of the Jay Brahin Collection, January 2010 FUN Signature Auction, lot 2339; Bella Collection.
