The Legendary Twenty Dollar Gold Coin

The 1933 Double Eagle gold coin of twenty dollar denomination holds the record for the highest auction price, as it was sold for $7.59 million as reported by the Coin News and Numismatics Resources. The coin was first issued during the California gold influx of 1849. Prior to this, gold coins of $2.50, $5.00, and $10 denominations were issued by the US mint. With the approval of the Congress for the mintage of the twenty dollar gold coin, it became one of the largest gold coins ever produced by any country.

Twenty Dollar Gold Coin Specifications

Since the gold coin with ten dollar denomination was called ‘Eagle’, the twenty dollar gold coin came to be known as ‘Double Eagle’. The Liberty Double Eagle, sometimes called the ‘King of American Coins’, contains almost an ounce of gold. Its inbuilt value, $20 denomination and artistic design make this coin a favorite among investors and coin collectors. The coin has an obverse of Lady Liberty highlighted by 13 stars, which represent the original 13 American colonies. The reverse of the crown features the image of an eagle gripping on an olive branch which is also the classical symbol of peace. The statement ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’ is inscribed above the image of the eagle and a Latin motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (‘Out of many, one’) is engraved on the beak of the eagle, providing it an unusual classical touch.

Liberty Double Eagles issued during 1849-1866 did not have any motto or denomination description, but for the coins issued during 1866-1876, ‘Twenty D’ was etched on the reverse. For the later coins issued from 1877 to 1907, the denomination was fully spelled out in Capital English alphabet.

Types of Twenty Dollar Gold Coin

Double Eagle gold coins have been in high circulation due to their popularity and exhibit obvious signs of wear and tear. Therefore, flawless twenty dollar gold coins are very rare. Based on the design and mintage period, there are two types of Double Eagles:

• The first type minted during 1849-1907 is the Liberty (Coronet Head) type which has an obverse of a bust of Lady Liberty facing to the left and a reverse of an eagle with stars and sun rays.
• The second type is Saint Gaudens Double Eagle which is named after its designer. It features a stature of Liberty on the obverse holding a torch in the right hand and an olive branch in the left hand and a flying eagle on the back.

Rare Dates of Twenty Dollar Gold Coin

There are several rare dates in Double Eagles which include 1850s, 1860s,1870s, 1879-O, 1881, 1882 and 1885. In the Saint Augustus Gaudens series, the most popular and rare date is the 1907 High Relief. Besides its highly admirable design, this is the only type on which the date is inscribed in Roman numerals. Other rare dates among these twenty dollar coins include 1920-S, 1921, 1927-S and any date ranging in the series of 1929-1933.

In 1933, due to the Gold Recall order of the government, all precious Double Eagles were recalled to the mint to be confiscated and destroyed forever. The decision was taken to stop the outflow of gold and prevent people from hoarding this precious metal. However, it resulted in the melting of several precious and historical gold coins of the country. Only the coins that were outside the country or hidden away could survive the meltdowns. Today, the remaining number of twenty dollar gold coins is just reminiscent of its original mintage. For anyone, it is indeed a matter of pride to have one of these historical gold coins.