1853/'2' Liberty Head Double Eagle. FS-301. EF-45 (PCGS).
An exceptionally attractive Choice EF example of the eagerly sought 1853/'2' double eagle variety. Rich rose-honey color blankets both sides of this appreciably lustrous, satiny example. The devices are boldly to sharply defined and the diagnostic for the FS-301 attribution is readily evident within the lower loop of the digit 3 in the date. Although discovered as early as the 1950s, the 1853/'2' double eagle did not gain widespread popularity with specialized collectors until the 1980s. It is still underrated and actually ranks as the rarest Guide Book -listed Type I Liberty double eagle from the Philadelphia Mint if it is considered as distinct from the normal date 1853. While a few high grade pieces were retrieved with the treasures of the S.S. Republic and S.S. Central America, the 1853/'2' remains particularly elusive in AU and Mint State.
PCGS# 8909. NGC ID: 268M.
From the Fairmont Collection - CAG Set.

Estimate: $2700