Lot 90
90
$20, 1855-S MS-66 (PCGS). Variety-14C, S tilted right. A blazing satiny gem with intense cartwheel lustre on honey gold surfaces. The fact that this nearly pristine gem survived in its present state for two years in the Wild West followed by more than 140 years at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean almost defies credulity.
Incredible Gem 1855-S Double Eagle None Finer Known!
$20, 1855-S MS-66 (PCGS). Variety-14C, S tilted right. A blazing satiny gem with intense cartwheel lustre on honey gold surfaces. The fact that this nearly pristine gem survived in its present state for two years in the Wild West followed by more than 140 years at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean almost defies credulity.

Details
$20, 1855-S MS-66 (PCGS). Variety-14C, S tilted right. A blazing satiny gem with intense cartwheel lustre on honey gold surfaces. The fact that this nearly pristine gem survived in its present state for two years in the Wild West followed by more than 140 years at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean almost defies credulity.
This is clearly the finest example of the date graded by PCGS; the next closest contender from that organization is graded MS-64. David Akers called gem examples of this date "Virtually impossible to locate."
The present coin is without peer. This is clearly the finest known certified example of this date and is of fantastic importance as such.
Further details
Finest by two full grade points of 304 examples from the S.S. Central America treasure certified by PCGS. Date logotype firmly impressed, top of 1 marginally closer to truncation than bottom is to dentils, left edge of lower serif over space between dentils. Nicely shaped S mintmark nominally closer to tail feathers than to denomination, leans slightly left, not right as the holder claims. Crossbar of A in STATES thin and unattached at the left side. Faint, raised vertical die lines behind the eagle's head resemble a display of the aurora borealis.