1873 Liberty Head Double Eagle

1873 Liberty Head double eagle $20 gold coins are rather common by date, as more than 2.7 million were made across the Philadelphia, Carson City, and San Francisco mints. What makes 1873 a particularly interesting year for Liberty Head $20 gold coin enthusiasts, however, is the varieties that were created when the style of the “3” in the date was changed on both the Philadelphia and San Francisco issues.

The “closed 3” variety shows the last digit of the date with loopier-looking ends on the “3” than seen on the “open 3” variety. While this means there are more varieties to look for (and spend money on) when collecting Liberty Head double eagles, neither the 1873 “closed 3” or “open 3” varieties are notably scarce, especially in the circulated grades.

Here is a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1873 double eagle gold coins:

• 1873 closed 3, 1,709,825; $2,936

• 1873 open 3, mintage included above; $2,936

• 1873-CC, 22,410; $6,219

• 1873-S closed 3, 1,040,600; $2,936

• 1873-S open 3, mintage included above; $2,936

• 1873 closed 3 proof, 25; $210,000

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

1873 $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 overall large size and hefty weight help make them popular among coin collectors and investors alike.