1863 Liberty Head Double Eagle

1863 Liberty Head double eagle $20 gold coins were made in large quantity, with collectively about 1 million pieces rolling off the presses that year from the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. 1863 double eagles contain 0.9613 ounces of gold, weigh 33.44 grams, and are 34 millimeters wide, which means they are among the largest gold coins that ever circulated in the United States. The large size of these popular gold coins is one reason they’re popular with collectors and investors, but so, too, is their historical value. Double eagles have their roots in the early days of the Gold Rush, when thousands headed for California to pan and mine for gold.

Below is a glance at the mintages and values of 1863 double eagle gold coins:

• 1863, 142,790; $3,836

• 1863-S, 966,570; $2,790

• 1863 proof, 30; $250,000

*Values are for coins in a grade of Extremely Fine 40 unless otherwise specified.

Like virtually other pre-1933 U.S. gold coins, 1863 Liberty Head double eagles are quite scarce today, and much more so than their original mintage figures would ordinarily suggest. This is due to the fact that most of the output was later melted. For your peace of mind, if you decide to pursue buying any 1863 double eagle $20 gold coins, be sure they are in certified slabs from a reputable third-party coin grading firms.