While most 1852 $20 double eagles exhibit attractive luster for a Type I double eagle, many pieces are plagued by bagmarks and other abrasions, presenting a challenge to discerning collectors. Circulated examples of this Philadelphia mint coin are common and can be found for a relatively minimal premium above the price of bullion. Even Choice AU coins appear on the market with considerable frequency. Availability dwindles considerably in Mint State, with fewer than 100 examples through MS-64.

We wrote the following in our Spring 2022 Auction Catalog, saying: "Early Type I Liberty double eagles such as the 1852 are very difficult to find in true Mint State condition, the only exception being the coins recovered from various shipwrecks from this period. While the original mintage for the 1852 would imply that many such coins would exist, nothing could be further from the truth, as there are perhaps only one to two hundred coins that would qualify as such if all could somehow be gathered together and tallied up. These are true condition rarities, especially at and above the MS-63 level. After all, there were few numismatists active in the United States during the 1850s, and even fewer who could afford to set aside the rather immense sum of money that $20 represented during that decade. In fact, most Mint State examples of this and other issues from the era probably survived purely as a matter of chance."

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in August 2017 as part of the Rarities Night Auction, where it realized $18,800.