LIBERTY
HEAD (NO MOTTO ON REVERSE) TWENTY DOLLARS OR DOUBLE EAGLE
(1849-1866)
1853 Double Eagle
1853
Double Eagle or $20 Gold
PCGS
No:
8908
Circulation
strikes Mintage:
1,261,326
Proofs:
Unknown
Designer:
James Barton
Longacre
Diameter:
±34
millimeters
Metal
content:
Gold - 90%
Other - 10%
Weight:
±516
grains (±33.4 grams)
Edge:
Reeded
Mintmark:
None (for Philadelphia)
below the eagle's tail on the reverse.
Introduction:
The mintage for the 1853 double eagle is well below
that of the 1851 and 1852 Philadelphia issues. There
were still more than one million coins struck, and
the 1853 double eagle is fairly common in average
grade. Nearly 100 coins of the date were found on
the wrecks of the S.S. Central America and the S.S.
Republic, a few of which are Uncirculated. Auction
records indicate that About Uncirculated examples
of the date are seen quite often. Fully Mint State
coins are rare, particularly at the choice level.
The finest known example of the date is graded MS-65
by NGC. The coin reportedly sold for $125,000 in the
summer of 2005. Key to Collecting: With a mintage
on the long side of the million mark, this is the
year for California gold production. The 1853 is easily
available in the usual VF and EF grades. However,
while some MS coins exist, they are mostly in lower
levels. Nothing significant has turned up in a treasure
hoard, either. Aspects of Striking: Usually well
struck, sufficiently so that many catalogue descriptions
specifically mention this feature. Die Data: 1853 four-digit date logotype
with numerals fairly evenly spaced; top and bottom
openings of 8 about the same size; 5 with upright
slanting, italic £, with upright of 5, if extended
below, passing to left of knob (same style as used
in 1852; different from 1850 and 1851), knob close
to upright, touching on deep impressions; 3 heavy,
thick at lower right; bottom of 3 slightly below bottom
of other digits. Used on all dies for oodi mints.
Various logotype positional and depth variations from
many dies, none of which is commercially important.
Some varieties with slight repunching exist.
"1853/2 Overdate" Breen-7162 (there illustrated
clearly): One variety of 1853 has been described
as an over-date, but die writer considers it not to
be such and not even a close call.6 The "artifact"
diat some diink is die remains of a 2 consists of
a tiny raised and irregular strip, on a slant, within
the bottom loop of the 3, without even the slightest
resemblance to the lower part ofa 2 numeral. There
are absolutely no traces of any other repunch-ings,
as might be die case if a four-digit 1853 logotype
were punched over a previously existing 1852 date.
Others may differ in their opinion. In his 1982 study
ofdouble eagles, David W. Akers commented, "One
variety is called an overdate, 1853/2. To be sure
there is somedrmg 'under' the 3 in the date but whether
or not it is really a 2 or just a recut 3 is difficult,
if not impossible, to tell tor sure." Further
from the same writer: "At any rate the 'over-date1
variety appears to be very rare although of dubious
additional value due to its questionable status as
a legit¬imate overdate. During the proofreading
of this book, some contributors voted "yes"
for diis as being an over-date, and others voted no."
Number of Appearances:
202 (46%)
High Grade Condition Points: 105
Auction Records: (31) Unc: Stack's 9/81; State Rare
Coin 1/81; Kagin's 9/80; New England 7/80; Kagin's
10/79; Hughes 10/79; Auction 79; Stack's 12/78; Kagin's
5/78; Stack's 5/78; Hughes 2/78 (3); ANA 1976; Beck
1976; Pine Tree 2/75; AAA 11/74; Superior 10/74; Paramount
11/73; Stack's 6/72; Shapero 1971; ANA 1971; Alto
1970; Stack's 10/70; Merkin 10/69; Stack's 12/67;
Ward 1964; Walton 1963; Holmes 1960; MC 1948; Bell
1944
(43) AU:
Stack's 3/81 (2); Kagin's 9/80, 2/80; Superior 1/80;
Stack's 12/79; NASCA 10/79; Stack's 10/79; ANA 1979;
New England 3/79; Ivy 2/79; Stack's 2/79; Kagin's
1/79, 9/78; New England 5/78; Superior 2/78 (2); Hughes
2/78; Stack's 2/78; B&R 10/77; ANA 1977; New England
7/77; Stack's 3/77; NASCA 12/76; AAA 6/76; Pine Tree
6/75; Forman, Taxay & Assoc. 12/74; Stack's 6/74;
Paramount 5/74 (2); Pine Tree 3/74; Paramount 2/74;
AAA 11/73; Paramount 5/73; Stack's 12/72, 2/71, 10/66;
ANA 1966; Kosoff 10/65; ANA 1965; Ward 1964; Holmes
I960; Baldenhofer 1955
(76) EF: Coin Galleries 9/81; Stack's
6/81, 3/81 (4), 12/80; NASCA 12/80; Kreisberg 9/80;
Coin Galleries 6/80; NASCA 4/80; Stack's 3/80, 2/80
(4), 12/79 (2); NASCA 10/79; Superior 10/79; Stack's
10/79. 9/79 (2); Auction '79; Stack's Stack's 6/79;
Superior 6/79; B&R 2/79; New England 7/78; B&R
4/78; ANA 1977 (2); Ivy 7/77; Stack's 6/77, 2/77;
ANA 1976 (3); AAA 6/76, 5/76; Coin Galleries 4/76;
Stack's 4/76; Pine Tree 3/76; AAA 9/75; ANA 1975 (2);
Pine Tree 4/75; Paramount 11/74; Superior 10/74; GENA
1974; ANA 1974; Scanlon 1973; Stack's 2/73; Gilhousen
1973; Superior 12/72; AAA 5/72; RARCOA 5/71; Stack's
4/71; Paramount 2/71; Stack's 6/70; Merkin6/70; Stack's
1/70; Merkin 3/69; Stack's 3/69; Miles 1968; Stack's
3/68,6/67,9/66; Paramount 2/65; Ward 1964; ANA 1963;
Bell 1963; Wolfson 1962; Cicero 1960; Atwater 1946;
WGC 1946; Roach 1944
(48) VF: NASCA 12/80; Stack's 10/80;
Auction '80; Superior 1/80; B&R 1/80; Stack's
12/79, 6/79, 10/78, 6/78, 12/77 (2); Kagin's 10/77;
Coin Galleries 11/75; Stack's 9/75; ANA 1975; Stack's
4/30/75; Superior 10/74; ANA 1974; Paramount 5/73;
Superior 12/72; ANA 1971; Kreisberg/Cohen 11/70; Paramount
5/70; DiBello 1970; Paramount 2/70; Kreisberg/Cohen
6/68; Shuford 1968; Stack's 5/68; Kreisberg 9/67;
Stack's 4/67; Kreisberg 4/67; Stack's 3/67; Paramount
11/66; Bolt 1966; Stack's 2/65; Ward 1964; FUN 1963;
ANA 1962; Golden 1962; Cicero 1960; Baldenhofer 1955;
Smith 1955; Farouk 1954; Menjou 1950; Kern 1950; Lee
1947; Neil 1947; Dunham 1941
Comments: The 1853 Double Eagle is one of the more
common dates of the type, more or less on a par with
the 1850, 1851 and 1852. It is available in a wide
range of grades from VF to Unc. although strictly
uncirculated examples are certainly very scarce, more
so, in fact, than uncs of 1851 or 1852. One variety
is called an overdate, 1853/2. To be sure there is
something "under" the 3 in the date but
whether or not it is really a 2 or just a recut 3
(as on the so-called 1853/2 Quarter) is difficult,
if not impossible, to tell for sure. (Also, there
is one variety that has an obviously recut 3.) At
any rate, the "overdate" variety appears
to be very rare although of dubious additional value
because of its questionable status as a legitimate
overdate. No proof Double Eagles were struck in 1853.
