1857-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-61 (PCGS). An ever-popular issue among Type I Liberty Head double eagles, this is a fully Mint State 1857-S that was not part of the <em>S.S. Central America</em> treasure. Vivid surfaces possess beautiful, original color and full, lively mint luster. Sharply struck and aesthetically appealing, this appealing coin should have no difficulty finding its way into an advanced double eagle set.</p><p>The mintage of 970,500 pieces for the 1857-S represents a reduction of nearly 220,000 coins from the preceding years tally. Until the <em>S.S. Central America</em> treasure reached the marketplace, the 1857-S was considered a fairly rare item, especially so in Mint State. Indeed, prior to the advent of that treasure in the numismatic marketplace, many "name" collections featured only a VF or EF specimen. Since the <em>S.S. Central America</em> treasure brought more than 5,400 Mint State 1857-S double eagles into the collecting community -- including some fantastic Gems and Superb Gems -- this issue is now by far the most plentiful Type I Liberty Head double eagle in high grades. With warmer color that tends more toward a honey-gold shade, however, the coin offered here has an appearance quite unlike that of the typical <em>S.S. Central America</em> 1857-S twenty. It is one of the rare Mint State examples that entered numismatic circles through another avenue. Sure to please, and worthy of the strongest bids.</p> PCGS# 8922. NGC ID: 2696. From the Fairmont Collection - JBR Set.
