1866-S LIBERTY HEAD $20, NO MOTTO AU58

NO MOTTO. A WHISPER AWAY FROM MINT STATE. THIS IS THE SECOND RAREST SAN FRANCISCO STRUCK COIN BEHIND THE 1861-S PAQUET DESIGN FOR THE LIBERTY DOUBLE EAGLE SERIES. The final issue in the Type I Liberty Double Eagle series, the 1866-S No Motto was struck in February of that year prior to the arrival of dies bearing the new Motto reverse design in the West Coast coinage facility. We do not know how many 1866-S Double Eagles of the outgoing type were struck, the San Francisco Mint apparently recording a total yearly mintage figure of 842,250 pieces. Based on an extant population of just 175-200 coins, however, most numismatic scholars agree on an estimated mintage of 12,000 examples. Rare in all grades and virtually unknown in Mint State, the '66-S No Motto is the most elusive Type I Double Eagle struck in the California branch mint after only the 1861-S Paquet.