$390,600.00 USD
A meager mintage of just 52 proof Liberty double eagles was accomplished in 1891, to accompany a remarkably small business-strike emission of 1,390 coins. Few business-strikes have survived in collectible grades, increasing the demand for proofs from date collectors. Fortunately, the proof issue enjoys a relatively high survival rate, with perhaps 20-25 examples extant in all grades, including two specimens in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution and one in the holdings of the American Numismatic Society.
Only a few numismatists collected double eagles systematically before the late 1930s and proofs commanded only small premiums when offered at auction in the early years of the 20th century. Some 1891 proof double eagles were undoubtedly spent for face value when their owners fell on hard times in the early days, as several examples exist today in impaired condition. Only 52 proofs minted. Pop: 1 in PCGS, and 3 in NGC
Obverse: Christian Gobrecht's portrait of Liberty is surrounded by 13 stars with the date centered at the bottom.
Reverse: Shielded eagle with wings outstretched holding arrows and olive branches. The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA * TWENTY DOLLARS appear around the periphery. Mint mark, if any, appears below the eagle's tail, above the N in TWENTY. IN GOD WE TRUST has been added to the type 1 reverse above the eagle's head.
