1853 G$20 U.S. Assay Office TWENTY D., 900 THOUS, K-18

Coin / United States of America / 1853 / California / United States Assay Office of Gold / G$20

Just a few legitimate proof strikes are known of this issue. Millions of dollars’ worth of the 1853 900-Thousandths $20s were struck by the United States Assay Office, making these double eagles the most commonly encountered pioneer gold issue. Between 500 and 600 examples are known today, with somewhere around ten grading MS65 or MS66. 17 Kagin-18 $20s were recovered from the S.S. Central America. So-called “Prooflike Assay $20” forgeries were marketed by John J. Ford in the 1960s. These were initially exposed in the 1960s by numismatist Eric P. Newman, and the coin from which their dies were copied was identified in 2006 by David J. McCarthy.