Anthony Paquet Dies

Anthony C. Paquet was Assistant Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1857 to 1864 and engraved approximately 30 medals in the U.S. Mint medal series (catalogued by Julian), in addition to working on federal coinage. Paquet's 1861 $20 double eagle is a legendary U.S. rarity, with an example recently sold by Heritage at this year's ANA Convention for $7.2 million.

The Paquet family evidently left certain dies behind, and Charles Barber wrote to Philadelphia Mint Superintendent A. Loudon Snowden on August 27, 1883,

Whether the included the famous 1861 $20 reverse die is a matter for conjecture, but what is certain is that today's collectors would place for more value on the Paquet dies than did the engraver Charles Barber.

Image: 1861 $20 Pacquet MS67 PCGS CAC, ex. Heritage Auctions ANA 8/2020, lot 3471, realized $7.2 million, images courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Link to Charles Barber letter on Newman Portal:
https://archive.org/details/paquetdiesarevalueless18830827/page/n1/mode/2up