1864 Liberty Head Double Eagle

Around 1 million 1864 Liberty Head double eagle $20 gold coins were made at the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints, with the majority coming from the latter minting facility. That fact isn’t surprising, given its location near the hotbed of gold mining in the United States during that time. James B. Longacre designed the Liberty Head double eagle in 1849, during the time he served as the United States Mint Chief Engraver – a position he held until his death in 1869.

Here’s a look at the mintages and values of the various 1864 Liberty Head double eagle issues:

• 1864, 204,235; $4,591

• 1864-S, 793,660; $3,148

• 1864 proof, 50; $250,000

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

1864 double eagles contain 0.9613 ounces of gold, weigh 33.44 grams, and are 34 millimeters wide, making them among the largest, heaviest gold coins ever to circulate in the United States. Like other pre-1933 U.S. gold coins, 1864 $20 gold coins are much rarer than their mintage figures above would suggest. Given the scarcity of pre-1933 gold coins in general, be sure that any 1864 double eagles you buy have been slabbed by a reputable third-party coin grading firm.