$20 · Gold · 1850–1907 circulation issues; 1849 pattern
Liberty Head Double Eagle
America's first twenty-dollar gold denomination, created during the California Gold Rush and produced through the transformation of the national economy in the nineteenth century.
- Designer
- James B. Longacre
- Classic dates
- 1850–1907 circulation issues; 1849 pattern
- Mint facilities
- Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, Carson City, and Denver
01 · Overview
Why the Liberty Head Double Eagle matters
The double eagle was authorized in 1849 as gold from California changed the scale of American coinage. James B. Longacre adapted the familiar coronet portrait of Liberty for a new twenty-dollar piece. The lone 1849 pattern is not part of the normal collector series; coins issued for circulation begin in 1850.
The series spans three principal reverse types. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added in 1866, and the denomination changed from TWENTY D. to TWENTY DOLLARS in 1877. Those changes make type attribution essential before date, mint, grade, and price are compared.
02 · Design
Reading the design
Obverse
Liberty faces left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars surround the portrait, with the date below. On circulated coins, the hair above the ear and the coronet are useful high-point areas to examine for wear and contact.
Reverse
A heraldic eagle carries a shield, with rays and stars above. Type I lacks IN GOD WE TRUST; Type II adds the motto and retains TWENTY D.; Type III spells the denomination TWENTY DOLLARS.
03 · Specifications
Nominal issue specifications
- Denomination
- $20
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Nominal weight
- 33.436 g
- Actual gold weight
- 0.9675 troy oz
- Diameter
- 34.0 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
Nominal specifications describe regular classic issues. Patterns, proofs, special strikes, production tolerances, and later commemorative or modern versions may differ.
04 · Chronology
The series in stages
01
Type I · 1850–1866
The original reverse has no IN GOD WE TRUST. Branch-mint issues connect the series to the gold economy of New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City as well as Philadelphia.
02
Type II · 1866–1876
IN GOD WE TRUST appears within an oval of stars above the eagle. The abbreviated denomination TWENTY D. remains below.
03
Type III · 1877–1907
The denomination is written TWENTY DOLLARS. Denver joined production near the end of the series before the Saint-Gaudens design replaced it in 1907.
05 · Examination
What photographs should help you examine
Luster and field marks
The large planchet provides broad fields where bag marks, friction, and cleaning can be conspicuous. Inspect the cheek, the field before Liberty's face, and the reverse around the eagle without relying only on the numerical grade.
Color and surfaces
Natural alloy color can vary. Look for consistent texture across fields and devices, and examine photographs for hairlines, unnatural brightness, residue, or localized disturbance.
Type and mint confirmation
Confirm the reverse type and mint mark before comparing an issue. A date shared across multiple mints or reverse types can represent very different coins.
06 · Before buying
Questions the listing should answer
01
Separate metal value from numismatic value
The coin contains a known nominal amount of gold, but its market value can also reflect date, mint, variety, survival, grade, surface quality, and demand. A gold calculation is a useful reference point, not a complete valuation method.
02
Read the holder and the coin
Confirm the grading service, grade, certification number, and any documented designation, then examine the photographs independently. A third-party grade is an attributed opinion; it does not replace a review of color, luster, marks, and surface originality.
03
Treat cleaning and damage separately from wear
Circulation wear is only one part of condition. Cleaning, polishing, scratches, rim damage, mount removal, tooling, and altered surfaces can materially change how a coin is described and valued even when substantial design detail remains.
07 · Sources
Primary references
This guide is educational and intentionally type-level. Issue-specific attribution, mintage, certification, and condition should be verified for the individual coin.