Mint Mark Location Double Eagle

Hi dear collectors,

the following shown coins are three different Liberty Head Double Eagles, all 1876S.
Every coin has a different located mintmark.
Is there a seldom seen variety?
Is a analysis available which one is common and which one is scarce?
Thanks for your help.

Best regards

 

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Back then the mintmarks were punched into each die by hand so every die used would have it in a different position. It is possible that a die might be used for only a very brief period creating a rare die variety but I don't know if any of these are rare. You also have the problem that a rare die variety will usually only bring a significant premium if there are more people collecting the coins by die variety than their are available specimens. There are few people that collect double eagles by date and mint, the number that would do it by die variety is miniscule. It is unlikely there would be any variety that has fewer survivors than there are collectors.

 

There seems to be subtle differences between all three of them, besides the mm location.

Are you sure none of these are fake?

 

Very ice coins hope they are the real thing

 

Here is the one my collection, which has been certified by NGC.




It looks like it might the same die as your first piece.

As Conder101 said, the mint marks were hand punched into the dies during this period and for many years after that. There are very few collectors who try to collect all of the Double Eagles. There are many date and mint mark combinations in the series that would stop most of us dead in our tracks because of the rarity and the expense. That would make the die variety collector even a rarer bird.

Even if you could show that one die variety is rare, the collector who would pay you a significant premium for it might be rarer stiil.

 

Yeah, the variety of dies could very easily explain the subtle differences I'm seeing.

 

You see the same thing with Barber Quarters

 

@johnmilton

Is your coin graded MS62?

 

My 1883 $20 double eagle has no mint mark, which I assume is Philly, but it’s not a proof

 

You'll see the same thing on almost all coins minted before 1989 - mint mark that is.
You'll see the same type of anomaly with the date for most coins minted before 1909.

 

The 1876-S double eagle is graded AU-58. It was graded over 20 years ago, so it might be a low end Mint State piece now. Coins "grow back" the worn areas over time, you know.

 

It looks like the mintmark 'S' on these two is almost centered:


United States $20 1864-S


United States $20 1876-S