Certified 1877-S Pre-33 $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagles
The Liberty Double Eagle is a historic design that was used on the $20 denomination of US coins for many years. Although the other denominations in the US Eagle Series started in the 1790s, the Double Eagle was introduced after the California Gold Rush, first appearing in 1850. By the 1870s, it was a well-known coin both in the US and abroad. Find out more about the 1877-S Double Eagles today!
Double Eagle Production in the 1870s
Before the Civil War started in 1861, the Liberty Gold Double Eagle was struck at three different mints each year: Philadelphia, New Orleans, and San Francisco. Between 1850 and 1861, Philadelphia was the main mint for these coins. The war led to the New Orleans Mint’s closure and increased gold hoarding in the Eastern US.
During the war and the following Reconstruction Era, the San Francisco Mint took over as the primary producer of Liberty Gold Double Eagles. In 1877, production was centered in the American West.
In 1877, the San Francisco Mint produced 1,735,000 Double Eagles, with an additional 42,565 coins from the Carson City Mint, totaling nearly 1.8 million coins from Western mints. The Philadelphia Mint produced only 397,650 coins. San Francisco’s production was more than four times that of Philadelphia.
Liberty Eagle Type III Design
The 1877 $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagle features a notable reverse design change. The US Mint issued three reverse designs for this coin. The Type I design was used from 1849 to 1866, and Type II from 1866 to 1876.
The new Type III reverse design introduced in 1877 featured the Great Seal of the United States and the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” within the stars above the eagle. The denomination was updated from “TWENTY D.” to “TWENTY DOLLARS.”
The obverse continued with James B. Longacre’s Liberty bust, based on Christian Gobrecht’s 1836 design. Liberty is shown in left-profile relief with a coronet inscribed with “LIBERTY” and a circle of 13 stars, with the 1877 date below.
Buy Certified 1877-S $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagles at BullionMax
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