1896 Double Eagle PCGS MS63- 1896 FS-301 $20 PCGS MS63. Repunched Date FS-301. This creamy, premium quality, Mint State 1893 Double Eagle is a rare repunched date variety. It is the finest known of this variety at PCGS. The coin is a mixture of yellow and rose-gold, with the latter being more prominent on the reverse. The presence of these colors indicates the coins originality. The satiny surfaces are clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions. The strike is excellent with full details on the centers of the stars, Libertys hair, and the design elements of the reverse, especially the eagle. The repunching of the numerals is especially obvious at the 1 and the top of the 9, although, remnants of the under numerals are also visible within the 8 and 6.

The design change that brought about the Type 3 double eagle, of which the present coin is an example, is the denomination. It went from TWENTY D. to TWENTY DOLLARS.  Like the addition of the motto to the reverse of the previous double eagle, it did not cause any major change in the rest of the coins design. William Barber who by then was the Engraver following Longacres death in 1869 made the modification. Later, his son Charles further modified the reverse of the double eagle by smoothing the back of the eagles neck.

James B. Longacres double eagle design was a new concept that endured well past the turn of the century. When Longacre first came to work at the Mint, he was opposed by Franklin Peale, the Chief Coiner. Peale was probably responsible for some blundered dies that Longacre was criticized for making. Peal was involved in a private, illegal medal manufacturing business using Mint facilities. He was concerned that this new political appointee would interfere with his business, and he resisted Longacres appointment as Chief Engraver. In the end Peale was found out and fired in 1854. Longacre flourished in his position and was responsible for creating many new designs including the Indian Head cent, the two-cent piece, the Shield nickel, the Liberty Head gold dollar, the Indian Princess gold dollar, the three-dollar gold piece, and the Liberty Head double eagle. 

William Barber was renowned for his pattern work and for the production of over forty medals. The dies and prototypes for these works were repeated many times over with slight modifications. In total, Barbers body of work is considered uninspired and inconsistent. However, he was one of the most prolific and influential pattern designers that had ever been employed by the Mint.

In its population report, PCGS shows 9 1896 RPD FS-301s certified at the MS63 level with none better.