Lot
3118 in the Rarities Night session of our Official Auction of the Whitman Coin
& Collectibles Spring Expo offers a seldom seen Uncirculated 1854-S Liberty
eagle. 1854 represents the first year of
coinage at the San Francisco Mint, and a sizeable quantity of 123,826 eagles
was struck. As a result, the 1854-S issue remains relatively available in
today’s market. However, Uncirculated examples are incredibly rare, as the vast
majority of this mintage saw extensive circulation through the American West.
PCGS and NGC have a combined population of just 12 Mint State examples topping
out at MS-62. Those figures are undoubtedly inflated by resubmissions. PCGS
CoinFacts suggests that as few as four distinct Mint State examples remain,
emphasizing the significance of the offered piece.
The
offered coin is truly handsome and has rich medium-gold surfaces with subtle scattered
pinkish accents. The strike is uniform and bold, with some minor definition
lost to lapping across the obverse. Bountiful satiny luster is distributed
across virtually every region. A thin scratch can be seen horizontally in the
left obverse field below Liberty’s chin, although this does little to distract
the naked eye. Scrutiny reveals a pair of blemishes at 12 and 6 o’clock on the
reverse border, each of a similar texture.
This is an important bidding opportunity
for enthusiasts of western gold.
This
lovely 1854-S eagle will be featured among other rarities in our March 2017
Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo, featuring the
Blue Moon Collection and sold in conjunction with the D. Brent Pogue Collection
Part V. To secure your copies of these exciting catalogs, please contact our
offices today at 1-800-458-4646.
