Pearl Elizabeth Knight (1893-1972)

About This Set: Born 12 September Spencer, Clay, Iowa; married Edward M. Paterson II 11 September 1920 Whittier, Los Angeles, California; died 4 August Soquel, Santa Clara, California.

The 1893 Mint Set is a formidable undertaking due in large part to the legendary 1893-S Morgan Dollar. Long regarded as the key to this popular series, prices for nice Mint State examples likely exceed the value of your home. While obviously overshadowed by their San Francisco counterpart, the 1893-O and 1893-CC are no slouches either, and top quality pieces go into six-figures. The mintmarked Barber silver can also be challenging, but pales in comparison to the very tough Morgan Dollars this year. The 1893 Gold coins cannot quite compare with the Morgans, but are certainly anything but easy. The 1893-CC $20 is an exceedingly tough coin with a mintage of only 18,400, and unknown above MS63. The Eagle of that date and mint is even tougher, with an even lower mintage of only 14,000, only 8 Mint State pieces graded, and none above MS62! Even the Half Eagles this year are tough, with both the CC and O mint pieces being anything but common dates. As we said, a formidable undertaking.