Types of Liberty Gold Coins

On the current volatile state of gold and the inflation that has gripped the economy, veteran precious metal expert, Barry Stuppler has released a report entitled ‘“Is Hyperinflation the US Government’s Only Way Out?’ In the report, Stuppler has stated, “One way to survive and even profit from hyperinflation is with ownership of gold coins dated before 1934 with numismatic value. If the US returns to a gold standard it would lead to a freeze on the value of gold bullion coins as the government would set an official price at which we would buy or sell gold. Gold coins with a numismatic value could continue to appreciate in price, and if the government repeats the type of gold confiscation we faced in 1933 then investment-quality gold coins would continue to be legal and freely traded — the only game in town.”

One type of gold coin has been the subject of much speculation, debate and controversy and these are the Liberty gold coins. Collectors sometimes seek the set of these coins which comprises the following:

The Four Piece Liberty Gold Coin Set

To own the entire series is the aim of many a collector as it is valued at much higher than the individual coins put together. Numismatics are collected not just for trading purposes but also because they represent a unique part of American history.

The Liberty Quarter Eagle: With the face value of $2.50, these coins were minted during 1840-1907. The weight of this coin is 0.1343 troy oz. and the diameter is 18 mm. It was minted at Philadelphia, Dahlogena, San Francisco, Charlotte and New Orleans. The obverse is a depiction of lady liberty surrounded by 13 stars and the reverse is an eagle surrounded by the words, “United States of America’.

The Liberty Half Eagle: This coin was minted for the longest period of time in the US Mint history, that is, from 1839 to 1908. During this period, two variations were made available, the first of which did not contain the motto, ‘In God we Trust’ which was added to the second variation 1866 onwards. The denomination of this coin was set at $5.

Liberty Eagles: With a face value of $10, these coins were minted from 1838 to 1907. The design is very similar to the half eagle and the same variations also applied to this denomination, i.e. the motto ‘In God we Trust’ was added to it in 1866. The reverse however is an eagle with an olive branch and some arrows in its talons, which is surrounded by ‘United States of America.’

The Liberty Double Eagle: Minted from 1849, this is the largest denomination of the liberty coins with a face value of 20 dollars. Before the advent of the Double Eagle, it was cumbersome to manage large payments with the largest denomination only ten dollars at the time; hence the congress passed a bill in February 1849 to mint the double eagle gold coins. Durring the life of the $20 Double Eagle there have been two main variations:

• Liberty Head: This was minted during 1850-1907. The coin was designed by James Longacre, and the main feature of this design was similar to the $10, $5, and $2.50 Liberty design.

• Saint-Gaudens: Named after its designer, the second variety of the Double Eagle is one of the most beautiful coins in US history. The obverse features a Greek interpretation of the standing figure of Lady Liberty.

Only approximately 5% of the Liberty gold coins were able to survive the Gold Recall Order of 1933, issued by President Franklin Roosevelt. This makes owning one today a matter of even greater pride as it is unique and rare in its historical significance.