1854-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle NGC UNC Details Ex.SS Yankee Blade
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2425206001
The 1854-S double eagle is one of the most interesting Liberty Head double eagles. It is widely acclaimed by collectors due to its status as the first double eagle from this mint, and the rarity of the quarter eagle and half eagle from this year makes it a famous coin as well. The 1854-S has an original mintage figure of 141,468 and under these circumstances one would expect it to be available in higher grades. This is not necessarily the case, despite what appears to be a decent number in Uncirculated as per the grading services’ current figures.
The present example features a beautiful cinnamon-gold and it has all the signs of a Mint State specimen except for the ever so miniscule pitting that comes from a gold coin submerged in sea water for an extended period of time.
The S.S. Yankee Blade shipwreck yielded a couple of hundred 1854-S double eagles, including many high grade examples, according to the Garrett-Guth reference on U.S. gold coinage. The same authors relate that the salvaged coins have surfaces that are "lightly etched from exposure to seawater." This coin has these same characteristics. This is a great opportunity to acquire a very high grade vintage coin from the shipwreck without paying the massive price for an assigned numerical grade on the holder.
SS Yankee Blade 1854-S Coin Diagnostics
There are certain diagnostics seen on the Yankee Blade coin which are not seen on the coins with original surfaces. Please refer to the images of coins attributed to the SS Yankee Blade shipwreck attached. These diagnostics are as follows:
- The shipwreck coins always have an obverse die crack which runs up from a denticle at 6:00 on the obverse through the left side of the 5 in the date, terminating at the truncation.
- The reverse has a total of three cracks.
- The first runs into the field (at the viewer’s left) from the base of the N in UNITED.
- The second crack begins between the denticles left of the first T in TWENTY up to the left tip of the letter.
- The third begins at the tip of the T in TWENTY and travels left into the field ending below the N in UNITED.
- On the late die state, these three cracks meet below the base of the right foot of the N in UNITED.
- The shipwreck coins always show a broken crossbar in the A in STATES.
This is reprinted from the California Wreck Divers website:
The Yankee Blade spent a short time on the East Coast and was soon purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt and sent around the Horn for service in the Pacific. Under command of Capt. Henry Randall, she departed from San Francisco en route to Panama on September 30 and struck a rock off Point Pedernales (West of Lompoc, California) on October 1, 1854. There were 812 passengers and 122 crew on board at the time of her loss. A great deal of plunder and other unscrupulous activities occurred soon after the ship wrecked.
When she sank, she was carrying $153,000 in gold specie, plus unknown amounts of passenger gold. Most of the gold specie was salvaged in the months that followed her wreck, but modern salvage has recovered several items. In 1923, seven destroyers wrecked a few hundred feet from the Blade and were salvaged and/or demolished. Even at that time the site of the Blade was known and it was speculated that the Blade may have been salvaged at that time. Back in the 1950s and possibly 60s, the destroyers were salvaged for their brass and a number of items from the Blade were retrieved, including the ship's bell. However, there is no mention of any gold being found. Today, the wreck is on the National Register of Historic places.
The wreck lies off South Vandenburg Air Force Base and security prohibits entry from shore. The nearest harbor is Santa Barbara, over 30 miles away. To compound the problem of accessing the site, the area is known for its hazardous seas as heavy surf prevails, prohibiting diving most of the year. Despite the rough conditions, some large pieces of the engines and machinery remain on the site.
| PCGS # | 8913 |
|---|---|
| Grading Service | NONE |
| Year of Issue | NONE |
| Grade | NONE |
| Denom Type | N/A |
| Numeric Denomination | $20 |
| Mint Location | NONE |
| Designation | NONE |
| Circ/UnCirc | Not Specified |
| Strike Type | N/A |
| Holder Variety | Unc Details Improperly Cleaned, characteristics of S.S. Yankee Blade |
| Grade Add On | NONE |
| Holder Type | N/A |
