1861-S Coronet Double Eagle
NGC Graded AU 58

5055617-008

Among the keys to completing a series of Coronet Double Eagles is the very rare 1861 San Francisco Mint twenty with the distinctive Paquet Reverse. Unknown in mint state, this lustrous specimen is as fine as they come.

While perhaps a hundred survivors are known of the 1861-S Paquet twenty, most are heavily worn and/or damaged. This choice, nearly mint example would be the highlight of any collection of Coronet Double Eagles.

The U. S. Mint made mostly minor modifications to all coin types between 1858 and 1861. Far more obvious than most of these is Anthony C. Paquet's interpretation of James B. Longacre's original reverse design of the double eagle. For the coinage of 1861, Paquet replaced Longacre's well proportioned lettering with his own brand of tall, severe letters. His modified reverse dies were supplied to the branch mints at San Francisco and New Orleans before being properly tested at Philadelphia. They quickly proved unsuitable, and their use was halted, but not before San Francisco coined and issued just 19,250 pieces.

To date, NGC has graded no 1861-S Paquet $20 in any higher grade than this coin, tying it for finest known.

Numismatic Conservation Services and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation have been awarded the exclusive contract to conserve and grade the thousands of coins being recovered from the 1865 shipwreck of S. S. Republic. These gold and silver coins are being brought to the surface by Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. of Tampa, Florida. Some of the highlights from this ongoing operation are featured here to showcase the work performed by NCS to professionally conserve these treasures and by NGC to certify and encapsulate them for longterm preservation.

CONSULT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COINS AND THE WRECK OF THE S.S. REPUBLIC::

shipwreck.net
www.ngccoin.com
www.ncscoin.com
www.kagins.com
www.money.org