1924-D St. Gaudens Double Eagle PCGS MS64. The 1924-D double eagle is the first of a series of very scarce to extremely rare Denver Mint double eagles. Unlike earlier issues, most of this mintage probably remained in the United States, making hoards of this issue unlikely. The mintage, 3,049,500 double eagles has not created this rarity either.

What did create the rarity of this, and many other double eagles from this era were the mass melting of gold coins in the 1930s, shortly after the great depression. President Roosevelt recalled all gold from circulation, and many issues that had remained in storage since their mintage were melted. Luckily for numismatists today, some pieces were either paid out to collectors or exported overseas, and examples are still available. A few small hoards have turned up in Europe during the last few years, making uncirculated coins somewhat more available than before.

The majority of those exported coins however, show many marks from handling. As a result, many issues are scarce to rare at the near gem level, such as the present piece. With the increasing demand for these gold coins, prices have risen steadily over the last few years. There are still some sleepers within the series, and the 1924-D could be considered to be one of them. Prices triple at least when one point higher, making premium quality 64s the grade of choice for collectors putting together high grade sets.

An estimated 800 to 1,200 pieces exist in all grades, with more than half in lower Mint State grades. At the gem or finer level, less than a dozen pieces are known to exist. Yet, prices are not as high as many other issues of the series, creating a remarkable opportunity for the specialist.

The present coin is a very bold and lustrous example of that issue. An exceptional bold strike is noted on both sides, with even the eagles tail feathers being remarkably struck. This coin is of premium quality as such, and combined with the original orange-yellow gold makes for a wonderful coin of this rare double eagle.