1889-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. Gold Label. MS-63+ (PCGS). CAC. Intense satin to semi-reflective luster shines forth powerfully as this beautiful example rotates under a light. Bright golden-apricot color with a blush of pale rose in the center of the reverse, razor sharp striking detail further enhances already exceptional eye appeal. The San Francisco Mint produced 774,700 double eagles during the year 1889, a typically large production figure for the West Coast facility. David W. Akers, writing in 1982, noted that prior to the 1960s, the 1889-S was rare in Mint State and that some major collections of the era such as Roach, Flanagan, Atwater, Baldenhofer, Melish, and many others had to be satisfied with circulated specimens. Beginning on an especially large scale in the 1960s, and to a much greater extent in subsequent years, Uncirculated examples from overseas hoards were imported back into the United States, so that by 2004 when Q. David Bowers penned his Guide Book of Double Eagles , he supplied a high-end estimate for Uncirculated examples at 2,500 or more coins. The typical example grades no finer than MS-63, however, and the present specimen is scarce from a condition standpoint. This important coin entered the numismatic market as part of the famous Saddle Ridge Hoard. One of the most significant gold coin finds of recent decades, the Saddle Ridge Hoard was discovered in 2013 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of San Francisco. A couple were out enjoying a February walk with their dog on a trail that ran along the ridge when they spotted a metal can near an old tree. Digging with a stick, they uncovered a sealed can they originally thought was full of lead paint due to the weight. They brought it back to their residence where they found it was full of double eagles. They returned to the find site, this time armed with a metal detector. All told, the property owners found 1,427 coins contained in six cans totaling $27,980 in face value. Preferring to remain anonymous, the finders carefully reburied the coins then contacted Tiburon, California coin dealer Donald Kagin, whose firm helped evaluate the hoard and arrange for conservation as well as the eventual disposition of those pieces not retained by the family as mementos. The coins first became available for sale through Kagins and Amazon.com the evening of May 27, 2014, and within 72 hours, half were sold. PCGS# 109012. Ex Saddle Ridge Hoard.
