The Twenty Dollar Gold Coins, also known as Double Eagles were first minted in the midst of the California gold rush in 1849. Before this, the only gold coins minted were of $2.50, $5, $10 denominations. Twenty dollar gold coins contain almost an ounce of gold. Their artistic design, along with their significant history, attracts collectors from all over the world to this piece of art. Its worth can be estimated from the fact that in 2002, an especially rare 1933 Double Eagle was sold at an astronomical price of $7,590,020.

Birth of the Twenty Dollar Gold Coins

The evolution of the twenty dollar gold coins stemmed from the discovery of gold in California. In 1848, people discovered gold in the region, which led to a steady flow of gold in the state. In 1849, the US government decided to mint twenty dollar gold coins. Before starting regular production of these gold coins, the US mint produced two coins in proof. The first twenty dollar coin that was produced resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, and the second one was presented to the then Treasury Secretary, William M. Meredith. In 1850, the Congress approved the regular mintage of the twenty dollar gold coins. The coins soon rose in popularity and became known as the king of American coins, due to their value and design.

Most Famous Twenty Dollar Gold Coins

The most famous twenty dollar gold coins are the Twenty Dollar Liberty Head gold coins and the Twenty Dollar Saint Gaudens gold coins. The original Twenty Dollar Liberty Head had the bust of Lady Liberty with the inscription ‘LIBERTY’. They were highlighted by 13 stars, which represented the original American states. These coins were minted from 1849 to 1897.
The Saint Gaudens twenty dollar gold coins were designed by the famous French sculptor, Augustus Saint Gaudens. President Roosevelt himself commissioned this responsibility to Saint Gaudens. These coins were produced with the main purpose of beautifying American coinage. After several iterations in the design process, the coins were finally minted by the US mint. The coin design has Lady Liberty holding a torch and an olive branch, backed by the rays of the Sun. These coins were used primarily for international trade, which is one of the reasons why these coins fetch a good price in the market. There were primarily three versions of these coins minted:

•    The 1907 version: Used roman numerals, high relief and were minted with no motto.

•    1907-1908: Arabic numerals were used in this version, low relief and no motto.

•    1908-1933: This version came with a motto, used Arabic numerals and low relief.

These twenty dollar coins are not just popular because of their historical significance and beauty, they also enjoy a controversial past that most people don’t know about.

The Controversial Past of Twenty Dollar Gold Coins

In 1933, President Roosevelt passed a law that put an end to gold bullion ownership in large quantities. The same year, the minting of the Double Eagles was stopped and some of the coins were even destroyed. However, some of the coins were stolen or otherwise made their way into the gold market. In 1954, a Double Eagle gold coin was found in Egypt. The US government came to know about an auction being held in Egypt for the sale of a rare Double Eagle gold coin. The coin was withdrawn from the auction, after which people again lost track of the coin.

After this, in subsequent occasions, these coins have been traced in many locations. The beauty of these coins, along with their rarity, makes them every collector’s dream. There are many dealers who sell artificial twenty dollar gold coins to collectors in return for huge sums of money, so always read about the specifications of the coin you are about to buy and check its authenticity before you make a purchase of twenty dollar gold coins.