VERY RARE UNCIRCULATED 1868 DOUBLE EAGLE

By a significant margin, the 1868 is the rarest Type Two double eagle from the Philadelphia mint. It is seen most often in the EF45 to AU53 and it is very rare in Uncirculated with likely no more than dozen known. I know of just a few which grade higher than MS61 and the best I have seen is the PCGS MS63 in the Crawford collection.

This is a strictly "new" example with nearly full luster and no significant wear or rub on the high spots. There are some scuffs consistent with the date and grade but these are not deep or detracting. Both sides exhibit nice natural rose, lime and orange-gold colors which are "right" for uncleaned, high quality examples of this date.

There have been just three MS61 1868 double eagles auctioned since 2008 and the only one to sell since 2010 realized $25,850 as Stacks Bowers 5/16: 121.

This piece likely qualifies in the tail end of the Condition Census for the issue and it is the best 1868 double eagle that I have offered in quite a while. An important coin for the advanced specialist.