1861 $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS AU50 (CAC) - Civil War Era Gold!

This dramatic specimen from the first year of the Civil War would be an excellent candidate to be a type coin for your collection. Gold specialist Doug Winter tells us, "I’d rank Civil War gold as one of the more popular ultra-specialties in American numismatics." PCGS has graded 306 as AU50 with 1,781 finer. In CAC, there are 31 in AU50 with 438 finer. Take a look at the images of this attractive offering from AUCM and imagine calling it your own.

Engineers of the 8^th New York State Militia in front of a tent in 1861. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

This issue is quite well-struck. Some pieces have weakness in Liberty’s hair; however details are much sharper than what is typically seen on San Francisco Mint issues of this time period. The details on the reverse of this issue are excellent, with some weakness appearing on the wing tips and tail feathers. This specimen has excellent eye-appeal, for there are more attractive 1861 double eagles than any other non-shipwreck issue in the entire Type One series. Gold specialist Doug Winter writes, “Without much searching, the fussy collector should be able to find a choice, CAC-quality example." Well, this one already has the prestigious green CAC sticker, so your search is over!