1869-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (PCGS). CAC.A highly lustrous, frosty-textured coin with uncommonly smooth surfaces for the assigned grade. Vivid medium gold patina throughout. Double eagle production at the San Francisco Mint in 1869 amounted to 686,750 coins, for a face value of $13,735,000. David W. Akers was able to identify just 12 auction appearances of examples listed as Mint State when he wrote his double eagle reference book in 1982. Later in 2004, when Q. David Bowers penned his Guide Book of Double Eagles, the estimate was about 40 to 50 examples. Population reports give larger numbers but undoubtedly contain many duplicate submissions. The present example is one of the finest that we have offered over the years, a superior quality Brilliant Uncirculated coin that would serve as a highlight in an advanced gold cabinet.From the Fairmont Collection.
