AND JUST LIKE THAT (SNAPS FINGERS) IT’S OCTOBER…
ON HOLD - $20.00 - 1891 PCGS AU58
ON HOLD - $20.00 - 1891 PCGS AU58
Date…….1891
Grade…….PCGS AU58
PCGS Price Guide.…………80000
Population (PCGS).…….…..14/7
Population (NGC)..………….16/3
Serial Number……9016.58/21133905
PCGS Lookup Number.…….9016
RARE 1891 $20 GRADED AU58 BY PCGS
The 1891 is one of the “Big Five” business strike Type Three double eagles along with the 1881, 1882, 1885 and the 1886. There were 1,390 business strike double eagles made in 1891 and my best estimate is that around 100 are still around with the majority in the lower AU grades.
However, this doesn’t begin to tell the true story of this date’s condition rarity. While there are likely four or five dozen AU coins extant, most of these are very low end on account of excessive abrasions and nearly every 1891 $20 I am aware of has been lightened or scrubbed.
This is not the case with the present example as it shows attractive rich orange-gold color and the reflective surfaces have a below-average number of detracting abrasions. The coin is nice enough that I was hopeful it would be stickered at CAC when I sent it in even though this date is notoriously hard to get CAC approval as only four have been blessed as of September 2024.
The most recent APR’s for this date in PCGS AU58 are $66,000 (Heritage 5/2023); $60,119 (Heritage 5/2022); and $66,000 (Stacks Bowers 8/2021).
The 1891 is a true rarity and its population was not impacted by Fairmont as the sole example in this hoard was a PCGS AU53.
