1864 LIBERTY HEAD $20 MS61

CHOICE SATIN LUSTROUS SPECIMEN FROM THE CIVIL WAR ERA. CAC. As a Philadelphia Mint issue struck during the Civil War, the 1864 was subjected to widespread hoarding, exportation and melting. The result is that survivors are much more elusive than an original mintage of 204,235 pieces might suggest. Typically encountered in EF-40 or EF-45 grades, the '64-P is scarce in AU, rare in Choice AU and extremely rare in Mint State. In fact, this issue ranks fifth in high-grade rarity among the 17 Philadelphia Mint deliveries in the Type I Liberty series. Only the 1853/2, 1859, 1862 and 1863 are more challenging to locate at or above the AU-55 grdae level.