1871 Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (PCGS). Gold Shield Holder.

1871 Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (PCGS). Gold Shield Holder.，A remarkable condition rarity in an 1871 double eagle. Fully lustrous with an intense satin finish from the dies, both sides also reveal appreciable semi-reflective tendencies in the fields as the coin dips into a light. The strike is bold to sharp throughout, and the eye appeal is superior at the basal Mint State grade level. The mintage for this was tiny for the era with just 80,120 examples produced for a face value of $1,602,400. This is the lowest Philadelphia Mint production tally of any circulation strike double eagle after 1859 and prior to 1881. Many lightly worn examples of this date were exported in later banking transactions, only to return to America in the mid to late 20th century, though this repatriation brought back very few Uncirculated specimens.<p>This issue is somewhat scarce in all grades. The average survivor grades Very Fine or Extremely Fine, and most are heavily abraded or harshly cleaned. The National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution contains an Extremely Fine coin. Nearly all of the higher grade coins offered at auction in the last two decades have been in one of the various About Uncirculated grades. Mint State specimens are rare, seldom seen, and likely number only 20 to 25 examples. The present offering clearly represents a fleeting opportunity for the advanced double eagle enthusiast.<p>，，