A 1920 Saint-Gaudens gold $20 double eagle graded Mint State 65 by Professional Coin Grading Service sold for $188,000, leading bidding at the Regency XXV Auction by Legend Rare Coin Auctions on Jan. 25. Next was the finest certified Proof 1852 Seated Liberty dollar graded PCGS Proof 65 with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker that realized $129,250.

As always with Legend’s auctions, colorful coins attracted strong bids.

Legend’s Regency XXVI auction is scheduled for May 17 in New Orleans, followed by Regency XXVII in Las Vegas on July 26. 

Here's one of the colorful lots that changed hands Jan. 25:

The Lot:

1881-S Morgan dollar, MS-66, CAC sticker

The Price:

$21,150

The Story:

The market for vibrant, rainbow toned Morgan silver dollars shows little sign of cooling off. Legend offered an 1881-S Morgan dollar — a common date in nearly all Mint State grades — graded PCGS MS-66 and bearing a green Certified Acceptance Corporation sticker that sold for a massive $21,150 on Jan. 25. Legend, in its typical exuberance, graded it 11 on a scale of 1 to 10.

What coin struck in the second half of the 20th century has a doubled die obverse, dates of two sizes and an RPM? John Wexler explains. Also inside this issue, Joel Orosz checks out what was in the first “superstar” collection’s auction catalog.

The description said, “We have sold many of the absolute finest toners. We unhesitatingly rank this burlap bag masterpiece up there,” before concluding, “The color pattern will weaken even the jaded toned Morgan buyer’s legs!”

As is often seen, the reverse is nearly untoned while the obverse shows what Legend calls “textile texture,” providing evidence of the coin spending a long time against the surface of a canvas bag. Collectors view the slight textured effect as evidence that the toning on a coin is original, rather than enhanced through artificial means.

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