1851 Liberty Head Double Eagle. AU-55 (PCGS). CAC.This lovely example is impressively sharp in striking detail, and both sides exhibit originally preserved surfaces and attractive mint luster. Minimally marked for the assigned grade, this coin would serve with distinction in any gold cabinet. Large shipments of gold bullion from California continued to flow to the economic centers of the Northeast in 1851, the Philadelphia Mint achieving the highest mintage in the Liberty Head double eagle series prior to 1861 with 2,087,155 circulation strikes produced that year. Much of this bullion made the long journey from California to the Northeast by steamer south from San Francisco through the Pacific Ocean, then by land across the Isthmus of Panama, and finally by steamship once again through the Atlantic Ocean to New York City. Although primarily used in domestic circulation at the time of issue, some portion of the mintage for the 1851 found its way overseas years later in banking transactions. Numerous examples of the date came back to the United States beginning in the mid-20th century through the diligence of coin dealers such as Paul Wittlin in the 1940s, James F. Kelly in the 1950s and, in later years, Ron Gillio, David Akers, and others who located them in Europe or South America. Today, a premium Choice AU 1851 double eagle such as this is a highly desirable coin, especially for gold type purposes.PCGS# 8904. NGC ID: 268H.From the Fairmont Collection - CAG Set.
