1880 Liberty Head Double Eagle

1880 Liberty Head double eagles are relatively scarce, with just under 900,000 pieces made in total, with the larger share by far coming from the San Francisco mint. Unlike in 1979, when four different mints made double eagles, just two – Philadelphia and San Francisco – struck $20 gold coins in 1880. While gold coins were primarily used in the West, they did see moderate degrees of circulation in the cities along the eastern seaboard. Remember, however, that $20 was a lot of money in the 1880s, and therefore double eagles were mainly used during large transactions, quite often those that were banking related.

Here is a breakdown of the mintages and values of 1880 double eagle gold coins:

• 1880, 51,420; $3,258

• 1880-S, 836,000; $2,987

• 1880 proof, 36; $250,000

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

1880 $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 large size and hefty weight of the 1880 Liberty Head double eagles, designed by James B. Longacre, makes them favorites among both numismatists and gold bullion investors alike.