1868 $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS MS61

Seriously rare in Mint State grades as PCGS has recorded a mere 8 in this MS61 grade with 4 finer! Garrett & Guth tell us "A quick study of the population data and auction records reveals that the 1868 double eagle is a scarce issue in any grade. The mintage is below 100,000 coins (98,575 to be exact), and most of the remaining coins are in Very Fine (20) or Extremely Fine (40) condition. Very few were saved by contemporary collectors...The 1868 double eagle is very rare in full Mint State. Fewer than 10 coins are known in Uncirculated condition." Dave Bowers in his 2004 Guide Book of Double Eagles estimated a surviving Mint State population of just four to seven different pieces. David Akers was able to account for just nine listings of Uncirculated examples in his 1982 survey of more than 400 major auction sales. Combined population statistics of the two major certification services confirm that the 1868 continues to be a high-level rarity in Mint State.