1869 Liberty Head Double Eagle

1869 Liberty Head double eagle $20 gold coins are quite scarce, as less than 870,000 were ever made and far fewer than that survive today. The San Francisco mint, which was geographically situated in the heart of the Gold Rush region of California, not surprisingly handled much of the coin production that year. Gold coins were mainly used in the West, though they did see some action along the eastern seaboard. Bear in mind that $20 was a lot of money in the 1860s, and as such double eagles were mainly used during large transactions, most often banking related.

Here is a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1869 double eagle gold coins:

• 1869, 175,130; $2,936

• 1869-S, 686,750; $2,936

• 1869 proof, 25; $210,000

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

1869 $20 double eagle gold coins weigh 33.44 grams and contain 0.9613 ounces of gold. They’re also 34 millimeters wide, which places their diameter about halfway between the widths of a modern-day half dollar and silver dollar. The double eagle’s heavy weight and large size make them very popular among coin collectors and investors alike, though the history behind these coins – directly linked to the discovery of gold during the Gold Rush, adds a romantic dimension to these classic American coins.