Numismatic

1850-1866 $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagle Type 1 (Cleaned)

---

In 1850, the United States Mint began producing a massive twenty-dollar gold piece to meet the needs of a growing nation. This impressive coin contains 0.9675 troy ounces of gold, struck with a purity of 0.900. Crafted by designer James B. Longacre, the Liberty Double Eagle became a staple of American currency, with production of the overall design continuing all the way until 1907. Over the decades, many of these precious issues were melted down, making surviving examples highly intriguing to study. The obverse side presents a left-facing profile of Liberty. Her hair is adorned with a band clearly inscribed with the word LIBERTY, and thirteen stars encircle her image to represent the original colonies. On the reverse, Longacre placed a detailed heraldic eagle bearing a shield upon its chest, beneath a halo of thirteen stars. The surrounding inscriptions read UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination TWENTY D.