1857-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. Variety-20F. No Serif, Right S. Gold S.S. Central America Label. MS-64 (PCGS).A fully struck, intensely lustrous example dressed in mottled reddish-rose, golden-orange and, to a lesser extent, pale silver patina.<p>In 1857, the still relatively new San Francisco Mint struck 970,500 double eagles. Several thousand of the freshly minted coins were boxed up and loaded onto the S. S. <em>Central America</em> with the intent of delivering them to the Treasury Department back east. Tragically on September 12, 1857, the vessel sank off the coast of the Carolinas in a violent Category 2 hurricane, killing 425 passengers and crew. Among the tons of gold ingots, coins, ingots, Chilean silver coins, and other personal effects were some 5,400 of the newly-coined 1857-S double eagles. When the coins were recovered, Project Curator for Odyssey Marine Exploration Robert Evans undertook detailed examination of each double eagle that came to the surface and categorized the coins. In all, Evans was able to document 8 major reverse varieties among the Central America coins. The No Serif, Right S variety, as here, is among the scarcer of the recorded variations and is characterized by the rightward placement of the mintmark in relation to the N in TWENTY, as well as the almost entirely missing left serif of the U in UNITED. Best appreciated in Mint State, the subtle differences continue to intrigue collectors and numismatic scholars alike and will continue to do so for years to come. Here is an opportunity for the specialist to begin their journey with an especially lovely example of a much less frequently encountered variety.
