1888 Liberty Head Double Eagle. FS-801. Doubled Die Reverse. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC. Offered is the finest Mint State 1888 double eagle known to PCGS and CAC. Intensely lustrous Gem-quality surfaces are bathed in a handsome blend of rose-orange color and billowy satin luster. Smartly impressed with razor sharp to full detail throughout the design. 226,161 double eagles were coined at the Philadelphia Mint in 1888, the largest production figure at this facility during the 1880s. Many served in channels of commerce and others were used to make gold payments overseas. Back in 1982, when David W. Akers wrote his reference book on double eagles, he characterized the 1888 as "very scarce in full Mint State." Repeating a familiar refrain for the Liberty Head double eagle series, in subsequent years as European gold reserves were examined in detail, many previously unknown examples were uncovered, and the Mint State population surged from dozens to thousands. Current high-end estimates place the Mint State supply in excess of 3,500 pieces, although few have been certified above the MS-62 level. Even MS-64s are rare, while in PCGS/CAC MS-65 this extraordinary Gem is unrivalled at the CC#1 ranking. The FS-801 attribution adds further appeal, close inspection with a loupe revealing bold doubling to most of the letters in the denomination TWENTY DOLLARS along the lower reverse border, as well as a few other design elements on that side.
