Numismatic

1874-S $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagle AU

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Struck at the San Francisco Mint, this 1874 Liberty Gold Double Eagle carries a face value of twenty dollars and contains 0.9675 troy ounces of gold. The coin is composed of a durable alloy of gold and copper, a standard formula designed to withstand the wear of circulation during the nineteenth century. Out of an original mintage of 1,214,000 pieces, many of these coins were lost to history when the United States abandoned the gold standard in 1933, leading to widespread government melting and mandatory buyback policies. The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Liberty, her hair bound by a band inscribed with the word LIBERTY, all encircled by thirteen stars. On the reverse, James B. Longacre's heraldic eagle stands with a protective shield on its breast, beneath a cluster of thirteen stars. The eagle is surrounded by the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY D. This particular coin survives in Almost Uncirculated condition, offering a tangible link to the era when large gold coins actively circulated in American commerce.