1853/2 Liberty Head Double Eagle. FS-301. EF-45 (PCGS).An exceptionally attractive Choice EF example of the eagerly sought 1853/2 double eagle variety. Rich rose-honey color blankets both sides of this appreciably lustrous, satiny example. The devices are boldly to sharply defined and the diagnostic for the FS-301 attribution is readily evident within the lower loop of the digit 3 in the date. Although discovered as early as the 1950s, the 1853/2 double eagle did not gain widespread popularity with specialized collectors until the 1980s. It is still underrated and actually ranks as the rarest <em>Guide Book</em>-listed Type I Liberty double eagle from the Philadelphia Mint if it is considered as distinct from the normal date 1853. While a few high grade pieces were retrieved with the treasures of the <em>S.S. Republic</em> and <em>S.S. Central America</em>, the 1853/2 remains particularly elusive in AU and Mint State.PCGS# 8909. NGC ID: 268M.From the Fairmont Collection - CAG Set.
