CHOICE AU 1866-S NO MOTTO DOUBLE EAGLE WITH CAC APPROVAL

The 1866-S No Motto is the second rarest Liberty Head double eagle from the San Francisco mint after the 1861-S Paquet. It is an important Transitional issue as 120,000 were struck from these dies before the new With Motto coins were made later in the year. There are an estimated 175-225 known in total with around 20-30 grading About Uncirculated and another three or four in Uncirculated. When AU coins are offered for sale, they are generally very low end due to excessive abrasions and having been cleaned. Choice examples--no matter what the grade--are extremely difficult to locate.

This very choice example is as original and wholesome as any 1866-S No Motto double eagle I can recall having seen in the AU50 to AU55 range. It appears to not have ever been lightened and the color is a rich natural medium orange-gold with a bit of darkening in the left obverse field.  The details are typical for the issue with some softness in the hair curls but the reverse shows sharper eagle feathers than normal. Most importantly, the surfaces are not riddled with marks.

There have been three NGC AU53 1866-S No Motto double eagles sold at auction since 2012 and none have been approved by CAC. One brought $35,250 in 2016, another sold for $39,656 in 2013 and the third realized $38,188 in 2012.

This is one of the very hardest Type One issues to locate with good eye appeal and a semblance of originality and the low approval rate for the 1866-S No Motto at CAC verifies this.

CAC has approved just this one coin in AU53 with five finer.