1853/2 Liberty Head Double Eagle. FS-301. Late Die State. MS-60 (PCGS). Frosty tangerine-gold surfaces exhibit intermingled blushes of pale pinkish-rose as the coin rotates under a light. The strike is sharp to full throughout, the eye appeal well above average at the assigned grade level. This is an interesting late die state example of this popular and well known Liberty Head double eagle variety. The artifact within the lower loop of the digit 3 in the date is no longer visible, but the diagnostic die chip on Libertys headband below the letter R in LIBERTY remains clear, confirming the FS-301 variety. PCGS and NGC do not recognize late die state examples without the artifact in the date as the 1853/2 variety, though the remaining die markers make this attribution unmistakable. This piece is one of the finer certified survivors from these dies and ranks favorably when compared against early die state 1853/2 examples that are recognized by PCGS. This service has certified just 14 examples of the early die state 1853/2 in all Mint State grades, the finest of which are at the MS-61 level. This is not inclusive of the present late die state piece for which the 1853/2 variety is not noted on the PCGS insert. An exciting offering for the astute double eagle enthusiast.
