1898 Liberty Head Double Eagle

More than 2.7 million 1898 Liberty Head double eagles were made, a large sum in the scheme of 19th-century $20 gold coins. Designed by James B. Longacre in 1849, the Liberty Head double eagle was struck by the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints, with the vast majority of the output coming from the San Francisco mint – not surprising given that facility’s location near the epicenter of the Gold Rush, which really took off nearly five decades earlier. $20 gold double eagles tended to circulate more in the West than the East.

Here is a look at the mintages and values of 1898 double eagle gold coins:

• 1898, 170,395; $2,936

• 1898-S, 2,575,175; $2,936

• 1898 proof, 75; $200,000

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

Bear in mind that the mintage figures above don’t reflect the number of issues that exist today. Many 1898 double eagles have been melted or damaged beyond collectability, meaning far fewer pieces survive today than were originally minted. This is quite the case for all pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. It therefore makes sense from the perspective of the purchaser to buy 1898 double eagle gold coins that have been certified by reputable third-party coin authentication firms. These include the American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS), Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), and the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC).