New 1898-S $20 Gold Eagle - How do you like it?

Meltdown

I'm a bit nervous buying gold at these levels but I saw this one and decided I just needed to have it. To ease the pain a little, I traded in 50oz of silver on the deal. I've owned that silver for years so I feel pretty good taking this one home... Plus, I needed it for my gold type set that I'm inching ever closer to finishing. I'm still too cheap to buy the dansco page so I figure I'll just go with graded pieces anyway.
Feel free to guess the grade on this one, I'm pretty happy with how the photos came out. For what it's worth, I think it's under graded.

PeakRarities

I like it as a 61/62, I wouldn't kick it out of bed but I don't love all the reed marks. At least they're not in prime focal points.

lermish

Nice! I think the luster gets it to a 63.

Downtown1974

I love all pre-33 gold. I’ll say 62. If it’s a Fairmont Collection coin, then I’d go 63.
Nice addition!

WillieBoyd2

The OP has a nice coin.

I have had this one for more than 20 years:

United States $20 1898-S

Supposedly Alaska and the Klondike supplied the gold for these coins.

Swampboy

I'll photograde it MS62

hummingbird_coins

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a 60 because of the two large marks from the edges of other coins at 12:00 and 5:00 on the obverse.

pursuitofliberty

Put me in as a 62 ... luster carries, marks are a little distracting

blitzdude

I'd certainly take it home. Looks 63 to me but regardless it's the Au. A win at any grade. RGDS!

RobertScotLover

@DeplorableDan said:
I like it as a 61/62, I wouldn't kick it out of bed but I don't love all the reed marks. At least they're not in prime focal points.

And there are numerous besides at 12 & 5 o'clock, there are additional 2 in the hair

SurfinxHI

63 with big reeding marks.

hummingbird_coins

@RobertScotLover said:

@DeplorableDan said:
I like it as a 61/62, I wouldn't kick it out of bed but I don't love all the reed marks. At least they're not in prime focal points.

And there are numerous besides at 12 & 5 o'clock, there are additional 2 in the hair

wow i did not see the ones in the hair but now that i do i think a grade of ms60 would be even more fitting

PerryHall

I'll guess 63. I've seen many slabbed 63's with more bag marks which seems to plague this series.

MFeld

63

jfriedm56

Great luster, but the reeding hits are a little distracting. Too many for any higher than a 61. Here’s mine for comparison that I’ve owned for 30 years.

jesbroken

Beautiful 98's all. Not a gold collector, but have noticed gold coins should not have large photos but about half the size of the op's. Any little tic is magnified extremely with the larger photos. After all photo grading is a guess at best and the best light and size matters. lol
Jim

Morgan13

I'm going to guess MS62
Nice looking coin!

MFeld

@jfriedm56 said:
Great luster, but the reeding hits are a little distracting. Too many for any higher than a 61. Here’s mine for comparison that I’ve owned for 30 years.

Unless the pictures are hiding something, that coin looks too nice for a 63.

jfriedm56

@MFeld said:

@jfriedm56 said:
Great luster, but the reeding hits are a little distracting. Too many for any higher than a 61. Here’s mine for comparison that I’ve owned for 30 years.

Unless the pictures are hiding something, that coin looks too nice for a 63.

What would it be hiding? What you see, is what it is. Grading standards were tighter back then. Many 64's today would grade 62 back then. Grade inflation on $20 Libs is in full swing now. I always went for high end for the grade.

Meltdown

If I didn't know any better, I'd say most all of you know what the hell you're talking about. Nice guesses everyone.
Here she is... It does look like another gold eagle rolled right down the obverse in the minting press.
.

Meltdown

@jfriedm56 said:
Great luster, but the reeding hits are a little distracting. Too many for any higher than a 61. Here’s mine for comparison that I’ve owned for 30 years.!

That's a beauty!

PerryHall

@jfriedm56 said:

@MFeld said:

@jfriedm56 said:
Great luster, but the reeding hits are a little distracting. Too many for any higher than a 61. Here’s mine for comparison that I’ve owned for 30 years.

Unless the pictures are hiding something, that coin looks too nice for a 63.

What would it be hiding? What you see, is what it is. Grading standards were tighter back then. Many 64's today would grade 62 back then. Grade inflation on $20 Libs is in full swing now. I always went for high end for the grade.

Hairline scratches aren't always visible in pics unless the light hits it at the right angle.

MFeld

@jfriedm56 said:

@MFeld said:

@jfriedm56 said:
Great luster, but the reeding hits are a little distracting. Too many for any higher than a 61. Here’s mine for comparison that I’ve owned for 30 years.

Unless the pictures are hiding something, that coin looks too nice for a 63.

What would it be hiding? What you see, is what it is. Grading standards were tighter back then. Many 64's today would grade 62 back then. Grade inflation on $20 Libs is in full swing now. I always went for high end for the grade.

Flaws of various types, as images so often do. And that often occurs, despite attempts at accuracy.

jfriedm56

@Meltdown, I was the only one to get the grade correctly? If so, my first!

coinkat

Grading standards for Liberty Head $20s were simply unrealistic in the 1986-1992 time frame. I suspect the NGC 98-s in the 63 holder was likely graded 25-30 years ago. It looks quite attractive.

jfriedm56

@coinkat said:
Grading standards for Liberty Head $20s were simply unrealistic in the 1986-1992 time frame. I suspect the NGC 98-s in the 63 holder was likely graded 25-30 years ago. It looks quite attractive.

If you’re talking about the coin I posted, then you are correct. I believe I’ve owned it since the early ‘90’s. I’ll have to look it up to be sure.

coinkat

@jfriedm56 I was referring to your coin- looks 64 perhaps 64+ depending on how the coin looks in hand. Wonderful coin.

jfriedm56

Thank you @coinkat. I actually brought that coin back to the dealer I had purchased it from 30 years earlier to see if it would CAC, along with others I thought would pass and he told me NO on all. But then again he was looking through eyes from 30 years ago!

WillieBoyd2

I decided to re-photograph the 1898-S coin that I have:

United States $20 1898-S

What grade do you think that PCGS would assign to it?

PeakRarities

@WillieBoyd2 said:
I decided to re-photograph the 1898-S coin that I have:

United States $20 1898-S

What grade do you think that PCGS would assign to it?

Approximately ms61.