1861-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS XF45 Ex.SS Brother Jonathan
SOLD
SKU
7764425
According to The Treasure Ship S.S. Brother Jonathan, Her Life and Loss 1850-1865, the Professional Coin Grading Service certified (35) 1861-S $20 Double Eagle gold coins from grades AU55 to XF40. 13 of these certified as XF45.
In the after market, NGC has certified 5 coins between AU53 and AU58, with one extraordinary MS63.
The S.S. Brother Jonathan is quite possibly THE most popular shipwreck treasure for collectors of shipwreck $20 gold pieces - and it's also the most elusive.
The SS Brother Jonathan was lost in the Pacific off Crescent City, California, on 30 August 1865. The ship carried an unknown quantity of coins, but it yielded slightly more than a thousand pieces when the wreck was found in the 1990s. Most were double eagles of the 1865-S variety and a lesser number of 1864-S and 1863-S twenties, along with some other varieties which are prohibitively rare and in many cases uncollectable since they are held in strong, private hands (collections). The 1861-S $20 can easily fall into this category. Most were sold at auction in 1999. The market value was in the $5 million range.
| PCGS # | 8935 |
|---|---|
| Grading Service | PCGS |
| Year of Issue | 1861 |
| Grade | XF45 |
| Denom Type | Liberty Head $20 |
| Numeric Denomination | $20 |
| Mint Location | San Francisco |
| Designation | NONE |
| Circ/UnCirc | Circulated |
| Strike Type | Business |
| Holder Variety | SS Brother Jonathan #139 |
| Grade Add On | NONE |
| Holder Type | SS Brother Jonathan |
