1861 $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS MS62 (CAC) - Civil War Era Gold!

Here's a dramatic Civil War issue that could be the centerpiece of a collection. This specimen, with its attractive yellow-gold coloration, would also be an excellent type coin. 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 117 as MS62 with 74 finer. In CAC, there are 26 in MS62, with 19 finer.

Hermon Atkins MacNeil's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Memorial in Philadelphia. MacNeil was a sculptor-medalist who designed the beautiful Standing Liberty quarter (1916-1930).

Winter writes, "The 1861 double eagle is a well-struck issue. Some coins have weakness in the hair but the detail is still considerably sharper than what is seen on the San Francisco issues of this era. The reverse is also well detailed with the only weakness occurring on the wing tips and the tail feathers." Considering eye-appeal, Winter writes, "There are more attractive 1861 double eagles known than any other non-shipwreck issue in the Type One series. Without much searching, the fussy collector should be able to find a choice, CAC-quality example. These typically bring around a 10% premium over an average quality example."