Product Description
1893 S US Gold $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle
Certified NGC MS 62
The US Gold $20 Liberty Head Double
Eagle was designed by James B. Longacre. They were minted
from 1849 - 1907 and survived the Gold Reserve Act of 1934 which outlawed
private ownership of gold in the United States.
Photos are of the actual coin you will
receive.
About Liberty Head Double Eagles
The Liberty Double Eagle represented the first series for the twenty dollar gold
denomination. The new denomination was created as a direct result of the
discovery of gold in California and the ensuing California Gold Rush. The
Liberty Double Eagles would be produced from 1849 to 1907 across five different
mint facilities with mintages ranging from the hundreds to the millions. The
first year of issue for the series has only a single example known to exist. The
remainder of the series includes several other issues which are extremely rare
or unknown in mint state grades and three issues struck in proof-only format.
On January 24, 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California
on the bank of the American River. Although the owner John Sutter tried to keep
the discovery a secret, word quickly spread and set off the California Gold
Rush. Between 1848 and 1855, approximately 300,000 people would come to the area
to seek their fortune. The massive movement of people and the influx of gold
into the monetary supply would have far-reaching societal and economic impacts.
Changes would also occur within the United States coinage system.
Under the Coinage Act of 1792, the original United States gold denominations
consisted of the quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle, with values of two
dollars and fifty cents, five dollars, and ten dollars, respectively. With the
vast quantity of gold coming out of California, additional options were deemed
necessary to convert the bullion into coins. The Coinage Act of 1849 would
authorize the gold dollar and the double eagle, creating a new lowest and
highest denomination for gold coinage. United States Mint Chief Engraver James
B. Longacre would be responsible for designing both of the new coins.
Obverse Design
The obverse of the Liberty Double Eagle features a profile portrait of Liberty,
facing left. Her hair is bound with tresses falling behind her neck and she
wears a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. There are thirteen stars surrounding the
portrait with the date appearing below. Except for a few minuscule improvements
to the working hub, the obverse design would essentially remain unchanged for
the duration of the series.
Reverse Design
The reverse design features a rendition of the heraldic eagle with large scrolls
to each side containing the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. A semi-circle of rays extends
from wing to wing of the eagle with an oval circle of stars just below. The
inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination expressed as "TWENTY
D." appear surrounding. During the course of the series, the reverse design
underwent two notable modifications. In 1866, the reverse was altered to add the
motto IN GOD WE TRUST within the oval of stars. In 1877, the denomination was
modified to read TWENTY DOLLARS in full rather than the abbreviated version.
Specifications
Year | 1893 |
Mint Mark | S |
Mint Location | San Francisco |
Denomination | $20 |
Grading Service | NGC |
Grade | MS 62 |
Metal Type | Gold |
Actual Metal Content | 0.9675 troy oz |
Fineness | 0.900 |
Manufacturer | U.S. Mint |
Diameter | 34 mm |
Length | |
Width | |
Thickness |
|
Weight | 33.436 gr |
Composition | .900 gold | .100 copper |
Designer | James B. Longacre |
Edge Type | Reeded |
Coin# | |
Packaging | |