 1930'S' Brilliant Uncirculated and offering the appearance of a full Gem at first glance, but reduced upon examination as a few subtle hairlines are found crossing the surfaces. The strike is sharp throughout, and the eye appeal strong. Bright yellow-gold lustre prevails over the fields, while Liberty and the devices are scarcely disturbed by handling or bagmarks. Without question a regal example of this elusive date, with excellent surfaces and quality seldom seen for this date and mint.
The present example shows the long die scratch extending from the top of a star near the rim at the 3:00 position through the seventh ray counting from Liberty to the right, ending straight below the tip of the branch. This die scratch is reported on other examples of this issue, but not all as different dies were used to coin the issue. There is also a raised die lump within the '0' of the date, seen on all specimens. To date a grand total of 49 examples of this date are reported by the two major grading services, a figure which likely includes duplicate submissions as dealers run the grading gauntlet time and again, seeking an additional grade point to market their wares.
While many prior dates are represented by known survivors numbering in the 100's or 1000's, the 1930'S' can boast a surviving family of 50-75 pieces only. Consider too that the original mintage was a mere 74,000 pieces and it doesn't take a leap of faith to understand why this is such a rare issue. For the Saint Gaudens specialist, the present offering is one of the most coveted dates and would make a most welcome addition to any advanced collection. Certainly the most significant highlight of the present date collection in terms of rarity.
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