1877 Liberty Head Double Eagle

More than 2.1 million 1877 Liberty Head double eagles were made, and they remain somewhat common today as a decent supply from the original output survives. The San Francisco mint made the vast majority of the $20 gold coins, though the Philadelphia and Carson City mints made a moderate number as well.

1877 Liberty Head double eagles were the first to declare the value of the denomination as “TWENTY DOLLARS” on the reverse instead of “TWENTY D.” as was the case on earlier double eagles. The 1877 reverse would be the final reverse design used on the Liberty Head $20 gold coin series, which lasted 30 years more, until 1907.

Here is a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1877 double eagle gold coins:

• 1877, 397,650; $2,937

• 1877-CC, 42,565; $4,405

• 1877-S, 1,735,000; $2,937

• 1877 proof, 20; $250,000

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

1877 $20 double eagle gold coins weigh 33.44 grams, contain 0.9613 ounces of gold, and are 34 millimeters wide, which means their diameter measures 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.