Numismatic

1877-S $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagle AU

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In 1877, the San Francisco branch of the United States Mint struck this twenty dollar gold piece. Containing 0.9675 troy ounces of gold, this coin represents a major denomination from the pre-1933 era of American currency. While the original production run reached 1,735,000 pieces, many of these coins were subsequently melted down over the decades, leaving only a fraction of the original mintage for modern observers to study. The design, created by James B. Longacre, was produced by the mint from 1850 to 1907. On the front of the coin, a left-facing portrait of Liberty is adorned with a hair band bearing her name, encircled by thirteen stars representing the original colonies. The year 1877 is clearly visible at the base of the portrait. The reverse displays a detailed heraldic eagle holding a shield on its chest, with another cluster of thirteen stars positioned above its head. The surrounding inscriptions designate the issuing nation as the United States of America and state the face value of twenty dollars. This particular specimen survives in Almost Uncirculated condition, offering a tangible connection to the late nineteenth-century monetary system.