1885 LIBERTY HEAD $20 MS61

VERY CHOICE LUSTROUS SURFACES. ONLY 751 STRUCK. JUST ABOUT 100 BELIEVED TO EXIST TODAY IN ALL GRADES. THIS SPECIMEN IS CONDITION CENSUS. ONLY FIVE COINS GRADED HIGHER AT PCGS WITH THE HIGHEST GRADED MS63. The Philadelphia Mint struck only proof Double Eagles in 1882 and 1883, but it did produce business strikes in 1885. In this case, however, the mintage amounted to a mere 751 pieces - a paltry total that confirms the 1885 Liberty Double Eagle as one of the rarest coins in the entire 19th century U.S. gold series. Only 70-80 coins are believed to have survived, most of which grade AU-50, AU-53 or AU-55. These coins will typically display numerous detracting abrasions on one or both sides, and the 1885 is easily one of the most challenging Double Eagles to locate with strong eye appeal. In high grades, the 1885 is rarer than the 1892 and such highly regarded Carson City Mint issues as the 1879-CC and 1891-CC.