Stack’s Bowers Galleries had a successful set of auctions at the end of October as the official auctioneer of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Winter Baltimore Expo, realizing over $23.9 million including $12.7 million in U.S. coins. 

The top gold lot was a stunning 1891 Coronet $20 double eagle graded Proof 66+ Ultra Cameo by Numismatic Guaranty Corp., with an NGC Star signifying exceptional eye appeal, that sold for $192,000. It is among the finest of around two dozen survivors from a reported mintage of 52 pieces that were each struck from a single set of dies.

Inside Coin World: Three auction catalogs, three centuries: Our print-exclusive columns in the Nov. 19, 2018, issue of Coin World look at what ties together three auction catalogs issued in different centuries, and why 2018 is a great time to collect.

The Philadelphia Mint struck only 1,390 double eagles for circulation in 1891, and as Stack’s Bowers points out, “the low mintage and key date status of the circulation strike 1891 double eagle keeps demand for the surviving Proofs high among advanced gold enthusiasts.” 

This one was described as, “Silky smooth in hand, and nearly pristine,” with the cataloger further observing, “Fully struck with razor sharp detail to even the most intricate design elements, the devices are further enhanced by billowy mint frost.” 

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