A major offering for this fabled rarity, this attractive 1861-S Paquet Reverse double eagle stands tall among the gold highlights in our current sale. Awash in rich honey-orange color, the surfaces also sport an extensive intermingling of vivid reddish-rose iridescence. Remnants of a frosty mint finish flash into view as the coin rotates under a light. Boldly defined through the centers with a pleasingly smooth appearance for the assigned grade.

Believed to be the son of bronze-worker Toussaint Francois Paquet, Anthony C. Paquet was born in Hamburg, Germany on December 5, 1814, and arrived in Philadelphia in 1848. At some point in the mid-1850s, Paquet opened an engraving business in New York, during which time he is believed to have struck several medals, apparently all unsigned, except for THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS ECHO BACK FREMONT campaign medal. In early 1857, Paquet took up contract work for the Philadelphia Mint before finally being hired on as an assistant engraver. Among his projects at the Mint were mostly pattern coins, once again unsigned, including a fascinating copper double eagle pattern, Judd-257.

By far his most well known work is that of the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor instituted by President Abraham Lincoln on July 12, 1861, the pattern for which bears Paquet's script signature on the obverse. He is also thought to have prepared a set of letter punches that were used on several patterns, but also are believed to have been planned for use on regular circulation dimes, quarters, and half dollars, though this never came to fruition. To this day, the reverse dies he prepared for the 1861 double eagles remain the only coin designs that have been positively attributed to Paquet, who left the Mint in 1864 and returned to private business, though he continued to take on government work periodically. Anthony Paquet died in Philadelphia in 1882.

One of the defining features of Paquet's double eagle reverse is the tall and thin logotype style he preferred as compared to the rather squat font employed by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre. The most readily apparent diagnostic between the Paquet reverse and the regular Longacre reverse may be found with the letter O in OF. The Paquet logotype has an extremely thin space between the uprights on the letter, while Longacre's is significantly wider and much more of a circle. Another defining indicator is how the central halo of stars above the eagle interacts with the rays; they are separate on the Paquet reverse but are nestled in with the rays on the Longacre reverse dies. Paquet prepared four sets of dies using his distinctive lettering for use at the Philadelphia Mint, as well as the branch mints at New Orleans and San Francisco. In early December the dies were shipped to San Francisco, and to New Orleans a few days later, along with a note instructing the coiner that they "will require the modification of the milling to suit the border." On January 5, 1861, production with the new reverse dies began at the Philadelphia Mint and was almost immediately halted after concerns were raised that the narrow rim of the reverse design would lead to poor wearing characteristics. Mint Director James Ross Snowden sent directives to New Orleans and San Francisco to cease use of the new dies and return to using the original Longacre dies. New Orleans received this message with ample time for the branch mint's officials to withdraw the new dies from service and no 1861-O double eagles were struck with the Paquet reverse. The story was different with the directive sent to San Francisco. Messages sent to the West Coast required using telegraph and overland express and took a very long time to reach their intended destination. Snowden's directive did not reach the San Francisco Mint until early February, and only after 19,250 double eagles with Paquet's reverse were struck and subsequently issued before the cease order could be implemented.

Only two confirmed examples of the Philadelphia Mint Paquet Reverse double eagle are known, making it one of the greatest American numismatic rarities. The 1861-S Paquet Reverse exists in somewhat larger numbers, although with estimates ranging from as few as 100 coins to nearly 275 surviving examples it is still one of the rarest and most coveted issues in the Liberty Head double eagle series. As with much of the early products of the San Francisco Mint, most examples of this issue that were released into commerce stayed there and saw heavy use. The typical survivor is well worn, if not also impaired, and to this day, only a few problem free Mint States example have been confirmed by PCGS and NGC. As an attractive Choice EF, the coin offered here would serve as a highlight in any advanced double eagle set.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

All winning lots will be shipped domestically via FEDEX, United States Postal Service, or DHL. Please note: A delivery confirmation shipment will be required for all orders. Delivery methods depend on the value of the shipment (for insurance purposes). All orders sent via Priority or Express require a signature confirmation. Please refer to the chart below to see how your winning lots will be shipped. Once your order has shipped, we will send you an email containing the order tracking information.

Total Value of Shipment Shipping Method
$1-$299 First Class
$300-$24,999 Priority or 2-Day
$25,000-$199,999 Express or Overnight
$200,000+ Contact us for Special Arrangements
Chart applies to U.S. addresses only -- items shipped to international addresses from the United States will be delivered via Fed Ex and items shipped from our Hong Office will be delivered via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover.

If you would like your order shipped domestically via FedEx, please contact our Client Services department at (800) 458-4646. Additional charges may apply.

• How much do you charge for shipping and handling?

Within the United States: All orders are shipped via USPS. All orders will have the following postage and insurance charges in addition to a $.50 handling charge per lot added to the purchase price:

Invoice Amount Postage & Insurance
Up to $299 $12.00
$300- $499 $17.00
$500- $999 $20.00
$1000- $2499 $24.00
$2500- $4999 $27.00
$5000- $9999 $30.00
$10000- $14999 $40.00
$15000- $19999 $45.00
$20000- $24999 $50.00
$25000- $49999 $75.00
$50000- $74999 $100.00
$75000- $99999 $125.00
$100000- $249999 $250.00
$250000+ $400.00


All international orders (including Canada and Mexico) shipped from the United States will be shipped via Fedex or UPS depending on the destination country. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. For shipments from our Hong Kong office via EMS, please refer to the Hong Kong Auction section.

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $2,500 $50.00
$2,501-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$100,000 $75.00
$100,001-$200,000 $125.00
$200,001+ $500 or Contact us for Special Arrangements


All orders shipped from the Hong Kong, China Office are shipped via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. The following countries have EMS coverage: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand. Our international shipping rates will apply to countries not covered by EMS. If you have special shipping requests from our Hong Kong, China Office, please contact [email protected].

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $300 $35.00
$301-$1,000 $40.00
$1,001-$2,000 $45.00
$2,001-$3,000 $50.00
$3,001-$5,000 $55.00
$5,001-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$25,000 $70.00
$25,001-$50,000 $80.00
$50,001-$75,000 $90.00
$75,001-$100,000 $100.00
$100,000-$200,000 $125.00
$200,000+ $500.00 or Contact us for Special Arrangements

by Stack's Bowers Galleries
June 16, 2026 12:00 PM PDT
1550 Scenic Ave
Suite 150
Costa Mesa, CA, US 92626

Stack's Bowers Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $20
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 $999,999 $50,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000