The mintage of the 1927-S St. Gaudens Gold Coin is truly remarkable when considering the scarcity of surviving specimens today, which numbers only around 200 coins. At one point in history, this particular date was considered one of the rarest within the entire series. While no significant hoards have been discovered, scattered examples did make their way into shipments from Europe. When encountered, this San Francisco mint issue exhibits the characteristic beveled edge and a lustrous, satiny gold finish. The striking quality remains sharp at the centers, although some instances may display slight weakness in the depiction of the Capitol Building.
1927-S St. Gaudens $20 coin graded PCGS MS 63, with an asking price of $80,900.
This offering pertains to a 1927-S $20 St. Gaudens coin, an ordinary strike designed by Augustus Saint Gaudens. It boasts a 34.00-millimeter diameter and weighs 33.40 grams. The total mintage of this coin stands at 3,107,000 units. Remarkably, it has received a PCGS grading of MS 63 and is currently listed by Rare Coin Wholesalers at the price of $80,900 on Ebay.
1927-S $20 gold double eagle: how much is it worth?
Upon its initial release, collectors had the foresight to preserve some outstanding examples of this date. The highest grade ever assigned by NGC is MS 67, and it fetched an astonishing sum of $181,500 at an auction in 1995.
As of September 2023, the NGC Price Guide indicates that a circulated 1927-S St. Gaudens Gold Coin is valued between $10,000 and $31,500. However, on the open market, pristine, uncirculated specimens of the 1927-S Double Eagle can command prices as high as $400,000. Like many other issues in the Saint-Gaudens series produced during the 1920s and 1930s, the 1927-S had a substantial mintage, with 3.1 million pieces minted in San Francisco that year. Nevertheless, nearly the entire mintage was melted down during the 1930s. In the 1940s, the 1927-S was considered the fourth rarest issue in the series, surpassing even the 1927-D in rarity. However, in the 1950s, this perception started to change as occasional pieces surfaced in European gold holdings. Nonetheless, like the 1926-D, it never appeared in significant quantities. Today, very few examples exist across all grades, making it a focal point of any numismatic auction.
High-quality specimens, particularly those in Near-Gem condition or better, are exceedingly scarce. The combined certification by PCGS and NGC totals fewer than 40 coins in MS64 and higher grades, with no known examples finer than MS67. Furthermore, only 17 Near-Gem and better 1927-S pieces have appeared at auction over the past 25 years, and only one reached the MS67 level.
Last sales1927-S $20 gold double eagle?
Notable auction appearances of high Mint State grade 1927-S coins in recent years include a Choice Brilliant Uncirculated piece with “delicate coppery orange toning over virtually mark-free surfaces” in a March 1990 sale by Stack’s. In March 1991, the same firm sold another Choice Brilliant Uncirculated coin described as having “deep greenish gold toning on frosty surfaces.” An NGC-graded MS65 coin, featuring “greenish-gold toning with hints of pale orange,” appeared in Superior’s August 1992 sale. In June 1995, a notable NGC-graded MS67 piece from the Museum of Connecticut History was sold, which is the same coin as the one being offered here. Moving forward, in May 1998, David Akers cataloged the Thaine Price specimen, describing it as having “unimprovable rich coppery orange gold” color and being “absolutely fully struck.” Sotheby’s/Stack’s presented a Very Choice Brilliant Uncirculated specimen in their October 2001 (Video available) Jeff Browning Sale, and a high-grade NGC-graded MS66 coin with intense and frosty luster was offered by Superior in February 2002.
In October 2001, an auction house presented a Very Choice Brilliant Uncirculated specimen. The Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducted an auction from August 17-20, 2021. This auction featured numerous significant collections and coins, such as the 1804 Class I Silver Dollar, a Collection of Proof and Territorial Gold, and the second finest known Proof 1827/3 Original Capped Bust Quarter. This MS-62, CAC offering pertains to a 1927-S $20 St. Gauden’s gold coin. As its condition increases in rarity, this coin is expected to command a substantial price.
3 best of the best 1927 San Fransisco Double Eagle remain at the Smithsonian.
Remarkably, the Smithsonian collection houses three Gem examples of this date, including a Superb MS 67 specimen. It is indeed remarkable that these remarkable coins were spared from the melting pots and safeguarded for future numismatists to explore. It piques curiosity to ponder why so many exceptional gold coins from this era found their way to the Smithsonian. It is worth noting that the Mint transferred its holdings to the Smithsonian in the early 1920s, suggesting a close and enduring relationship between Mint officials and the Smithsonian. We are fortunate that this relationship endured.
While it is now housed in a PCGS holder, we can reference the description from the 1995 auction: “Rarely seen, the 1927-S is typically a memorable coin, as most examples are uncirculated and boast highly lustrous surfaces. However, this coin stands out even among 1927-S twenties. Among all the rare late-date twenties from the Connecticut Public Library, this coin possesses the most extraordinary surfaces. The coin is virtually flawless, with bright and fully frosted mint luster that dances across the surfaces when tilted under light. With the aid of a magnifier, a few microscopic marks can be discerned on each side, but to the naked eye, only three minor imperfections are noticeable. The most prominent is a small copper alloy spot in the right obverse field, a characteristic often found on ’27-S twenties, and this coin has just one. The other imperfections consist of a minuscule mark on the eighth ray on the obverse (when counting from left to right) and a slightly curved scrape on the sun. The latter appears to be a mint-made flaw, possibly related to the ejection from the die. That said, this is unquestionably one of the most visually appealing business strike Saint-Gaudens coins ever encountered, regardless of the date. This issue is frequently encountered with weak strikes, but this coin showcases every nuance originally engraved into the dies. It also lacks the common die crack often seen on the right side of the obverse. Altogether, this coin represents a spectacular example of this rare issue. Advanced collectors of this series have a unique opportunity to acquire what is undoubtedly the finest known 1927-S Saint-Gaudens double eagle. Population: 1 in 67, with none finer (as of September 2005).”
Offered from The Phillip H. Morse Collection of Saint-Gaudens Coinage, this coin is an extraordinary numismatic rarity.
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