1865-S $20.00 NGC MS63 S.S. Republic CAC

S.S. Republic pedigree. Small S variety. There are a number of amazing, high grade 1865-S double eagles known from two wrecks: the S.S. Brother Jonathan and the S.S. Republic. I prefer the look of the coins from the latter as the Bro Jo coins tend to have very heavily matte-like surfaces from exposure to seawater while the Republic coins have a far more original appearance. This piece is among the best looking 1865-S double eagles that I have seen with wonderful luster and just a small number of marks on the surface. A small amount of mint-made porosity near star six is what probably caused NGC to be very conservative when grading this coin but it has the naked-eye appearance of an MS64; if not a Gem. There are a total of 51 MS63's from this wreck for the date but only eleven have been graded higher which makes it a harder coin to find nice than its counterpart from the Brother Jonathan. A perfect coin for the double eagle collector who wants one choice, interesting coin from each of the major shipwrecks.