Two 1929-dated gold coins with hearty mintages but low survival rates join two 1880s Coronet $20 gold double eagles with low mintages as standout lots at Heritage’s March 28 to 31 U.S. Coins Signature Auction.

The 1882 Philadelphia Mint Coronet $20 double eagle is a rarity in the series with a tiny mintage of 571 pieces, of which perhaps a dozen of the circulation strike examples survive. The meager production makes it among the lowest-mintage regular issue gold coins. The 1883, 1884 and 1887 double eagles were struck in Proof only finishes for collector sales in those years.

Although the 1882 double eagles were struck in both Proof and circulation finishes, collectors largely preferred the Proof examples at the time. After all, keeping a coin with such a high denomination was a substantial commitment for collectors in 1882 and years after.

The offered example is graded About Uncirculated 58 by Numismatic Guaranty Co., and Heritage observes, “As is expected for such a low-mintage issue, the fields on this piece are bright and reflective, conserving considerable evidence of the original prooflike texture,” and “abrasions scattered over each side are consistent with the grade.” It previously sold at an August 2014 Heritage auction in an NGC AU-55 holder for $129,250, a distinctive contact mark between star 9 and the back of Liberty’s head identifying the previous offering.

The 1885 Coronet $20 double eagle is also a low-mintage rarity, with just 751 produced for circulation. The Philadelphia Mint stayed busy striking non-gold coins while the San Francisco Mint saw a decrease in gold deposits that year, leaving little room for high-denomination gold issues. An additional 77 Proofs examples were struck for collectors, and the Proof coins are more commonly seen in the market. Heritage notes on this NGC AU-55 example, “semiprooflike reflectivity within the hidden areas,” while, “reddish accents complement the pleasing orange-gold color.”

Rare 1929 U.S. gold coins

In contrast to the low-mintage gold $20 coins of the 1880s, 1929 saw relatively high mintages for gold issues, accompanied by low survival rates.

For example, of the 662,000 Indian Head $5 half eagles of 1929 struck, only a few hundred survive. The denomination had been on a hiatus since 1916 and there remained little commercial need for gold coins domestically, so most of the 1929-dated gold half eagles were ultimately melted. Most survivors are found in attractive Mint State grades, and the example offered, graded MS-64+ by Professional Coin Grading Service and carrying a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker, is one of the finer ones known. The cataloger praises its “satiny peach-gold mint luster” and a bold strike, with only some minor surface marks visible under magnification.

The 1929 Saint-Gaudens gold $20 double eagle is another high-mintage, low-survival issue with nearly 1.8 million struck of which perhaps 350 survive today. Roger Burdette’s analysis of U.S. Mint records show that of the hearty mintage, nearly all never ventured beyond the mint’s vaults and those that were released were ultimately returned, with just 1,176 examples potentially released.

PCGS has graded four in MS-65+ with five finer, and Heritage praised the “razor-sharp definition,” stating, “The virtually pristine orange-gold surfaces radiate vibrant mint luster from both sides.” For pricing reference, in 2023, one graded MS-65 realized $85,500, and one graded MS-66 sold for $192,000; a different one graded PCGS MS-65+ realized $90,000 back in January 2020.

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