Beginning with this issue, mintage figures at the Philadelphia Mint increased substantially for Liberty Head double eagles.

Expert’s Corner: 1894 Double Eagle

In grades up to MS62, the 1894 is a relatively available issue. I do like the 1894 in MS63 and MS64 and find it to be harder to locate than many collectors realize. In MS65, the 1894 is an extremely challenging coin, and I have handled very few.

The 1894 is a well struck issue. Most are completely detailed at the centers with sharp hair and feathers. The stars are sometimes slightly weak on the obverse, but it is easy to find a piece with full radial lines. The surfaces are often heavily abraded with deep marks clustered in the fields. The luster is usually frosty with a smooth, rich texture. Some semi-proof-like and fully proof-like examples exist, but these are generally not attractive due to excessive abrasions. Original, uncleaned pieces have coloration which ranges from pinkish-green to a deep orange-gold shade. There are some extremely attractive 1894 double eagles known, and the collector should be able to find one without much effort.

1894 Double Eagle: Rare Proofs and Scarce High-Grade Survivors

There were a total of 50 proofs, and around 20 to 24 are known today. The rarity of this issue as a proof has been overlooked. There are very few sales records for this date in the past two decades.

The 1894 is relatively common in all grades up to and including MS63. It is moderately scarce in MS64, with only about 374 seen since PCGS began grading in 1986 and NGC followed in 1987. That is less than 10 graded a year. It is extremely rare in MS65, with just 16 currently known.