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Message:: [QUOTE="benveniste, post: 1565975, member: 25547"]I think you may be overstating your case here a bit.  I'd happily trade 1 oz. gold bullion coins even up for PCGS or NGC certified MS63 double eagles. But in general, I agree that $20 gold pieces mainly saw use in commercial transactions and as reserves rather than in everyday use for personal transactions.  Before the shipwreck coins were salvaged and "conserved," mint state Type I and Type II Liberty Head $20's were quite rare -- most pieces show wear consistent with transport and transfer rather than day-in, day-out use.  But by the time Type III coins showed up in quantity, within the United States specie-backed paper money was in more common use and traded at par.  Even so, until you get to 20th century coins, the mint state survivors tend to have nicks and chatter which keep them in the MS61-MS62 range.  The only coin I've ever been tempted to "crack out" is an 1893-S $20 in MS-62 because of the $1000+ jump between '62 and '63.[/QUOTE]