1928 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. MS-66+ (PCGS). Billowy mint frost mingles with vivid rose-orange patina on both sides of this smartly impressed, exceptionally well preserved Gem. Struck on the eve of the Great Depression, the 8,816,000 double eagles struck at Philadelphia proved to be by far the largest mintage for the series and the last readily available issue for the entire series. A significant portion were shipped abroad in international trade while a smaller quantity were paid out domestically. The massive Treasury melts of the 1930s took their toll on the coins that remained. The coins that sat in European and South American vaults fared better since the vast majority of the surviving specimens among those that returned stateside beginning in the 1940s and 1950s are uncirculated. The issue is readily available up through Gem Mint State and even above. However, at and near the Superb Gem Mint State level, the numbers diminish drastically. Even the most selective of connoisseurs would be pleased with this outstanding representative.
