1866-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. Motto. MS-61 (PCGS). Gold Shield Holder.

1866-S Liberty Head Double Eagle. Motto. MS-61 (PCGS). Gold Shield Holder.，This endearing piece exhibits billowy mint luster that blends nicely with vivid rose-orange patina. Well struck in a Type II Liberty Head double eagle, the reverse is sharply defined throughout while the obverse is boldly detailed apart from isolated softness to several of the stars around the periphery. Minimally abraded for the assigned grade with a generally smooth appearance in hand.<p>The San Francisco Mints initial contribution to this design type of the Liberty Head double eagle is 842,250 pieces. The face value of this delivery is $16,834,000. The 1866-S Motto as an issue circulated extensively on the West Coast, although some examples were shipped overseas to facilitate trade and were melted at their destinations. This date was once regarded as a great condition rarity. Back in 1982, David W. Akers wrote: "I have seen only two Uncirculated examples, the finest being....from the Harry Bass Collection." As recently as 2000, the 1866-S Motto was considered to be extremely rare and was cataloged as such when we (Bowers and Merena) offered the Bass specimen at auction. Since that time, however, additional pieces have come to light. Presumably an old hoard was dispersed, but no details have come to hand. In 2004, Q. David Bowers estimated a population of 40 to 70 different Mint State examples in his <em>Guide Book of Double Eagles</em> published by Whitman. With such an estimate, however, Mint State examples of the 1866-S remain rare in an absolute sense, the present offering representing a fleeting bidding opportunity for the astute double eagle collector.，，