A rare gold $20 double eagle issued by the Denver Mint in 1927 was acquired by GreatCollections for $3.84 million after spirited bidding on Jan. 16.

The 1927-D Saint-Gaudens double eagle is one of only a few in private hands. It was graded MS-65+ by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and approved by Certified Acceptance Corp. (CAC).

“We are thrilled to have won this Grail of American numismatics. It’s a dream coin for collectors, essential for completing a collection of the Saint-Gaudens series. It might be many years before another appears on the market. Our goal was to pay under $4 million, so it worked out perfectly,” said Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections.

The coin was sold during the Heritage Auctions Jan. 14 through 19 FUN U.S. Coins Signature Auction held in Dallas following the Florida United Numismatists convention.

Only about a dozen 1927-D Saint-Gaudens double eagles are known today, out of its original mintage of 180,000. Four are in permanent museum collections, including three examples in the Smithsonian and another in the Museum of Connecticut History. The balance of the original mintage was likely melted following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 executive order banning most private gold ownership.

The offered coin has a pedigree dating back to the 1940s before being acquired by Orange County, Florida, resident and respected numismatist Dr. Steven Duckor in 1984 for just $198,000. Over the past 30 years, the rare coin market has increased significantly, especially for trophy coins and rarities.

The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is one of the most iconic and celebrated series in American numismatic history, issued from 1907 to 1933. It was commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt as part of his effort to beautify U.S. coinage in the early 20th century. The obverse design is considered a masterpiece and still routinely ranks worldwide as one of the most iconic coin designs ever.

Duckor studied the Saint-Gaudens series, among others, and assembled one of the finest collections long before third-party coin grading services such as PCGS and CAC changed the market.

“The Duckor pedigree for Saint-Gaudens is one we value; many of the coins in his former set are currently in the finest collections owned by clients of GreatCollections, including the all-time #1 set — the Elite Collection,” continued Russell.

GreatCollections manages want lists and assists collectors with all aspects of numismatics, in addition to its weekly auctions of certified coins and paper money.

In recent GreatCollections auctions, the finest 1943-S Lincoln cent off-metal error, struck on a zinc-coated steel planchet, realized $490,500 and a semi-unique Proof 1975-S No S Roosevelt dime realized $506,250 — both all-time records.

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