Heritage’s Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 U.S. Coins Signature Auction in New York brought more than $12.4 million, and leading the sale was the Cherny Col­lection of Mint State Saint-Gaudens gold $20 double eagles.

Except for the 1927-D double eagle and the noncollectible 1933 coin, the set was complete and was especially noteworthy for its exceptional middle- and late-date issues chosen with aesthetic appeal in mind.

Here is one of three San Francisco Mint $20 coins we're analyzing in this week's Market Analysis that showcase beauty, quality and rarity, and help confirm why the series has remained popular for decades with the wealthiest collectors.

The Lot:

1927-S Saint-Gaudens $20 double eagle, PCGS MS-65, CAC sticker

The Price:

$199,750

The Story:

Like the 1920-S coin, the 1927-S double eagle has not been found in any substantial quantities in European hoards. Heritage writes, “That the 1927-S has maintained such an elite status is made all the more impressive when one considers the number of issues in the series today considered ‘less rare than previously thought’ — almost invariably due to discoveries of small caches of coins in Europe or Latin America, which mostly occurred in the 1940s through the early 1960s.”

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The Cherny example is graded MS-65 by Professional Coin Grading Service, has a Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker and is one of 11 MS-65 examples graded by PCGS and Numismatic Guaranty Corp. On Nov. 1 it sold for $199,750, an improvement from when it was last offered at Heritage’s January 2010 auction where it sold for $149,500.

Saint-Gaudens double eagle: The early 20th century was a golden age of U.S. coin designs, and perhaps the most memorable of these classic designs is the contribution made by the famed sculptor-engraver Augustus Saint-Gaudens. How much are Saint-Gaudens double eagles worth?

Keep Reading About the Lots of the Cherny Collection:

A collection of Saint-Gaudens gold double eagles was just sold, and this was the top lot: Excluding the noncollectible 1933 double eagle, this date is one of the key rarities in the series in high Mint State grades.

How much one of the toughest Saint-Gaudens double eagles to find sold for: Each of the five double eagles struck between 1929 and 1932 is expensive and among these the 1930-S coin is considered the most challenging to acquire.