Type II Liberty Gold Coins
The two areas that continue to most affect Gold Coin retail prices are mintage and population. After years of such study, Eagle Numismatics have identified Type II $20 Liberty Gold Coins minted between 1866 – 1876 as those Liberty Gold Coins most likely to appreciate to the highest levels and at the fastest pace. Over the past 10 years they have had the least volatility, are the rarest by mint and they will soon be the rarest by survival based on NGC/PCGS population information.
Due to their weight, relatively low price, limited numbers, and worldwide popularity, pre-1907 U.S. $20 Liberty Gold Coins are much preferred by savvy gold investors seeking extra leverage to the precious metals market. These beautiful and historic Liberty gold coins offer complete financial privacy. The graded $20 coin market provides an excellent opportunity for those looking to increase the risk-to-reward factor in their gold portfolio.
A Bit of History of Liberty Gold Coins
$20 Liberty Double Eagle gold coins are one of the world’s most recognized gold pieces. A workhorse coin of trade, it was one of the building blocks of the growing U.S economy and financial markets in the 19th and 20th centuries. $20 Liberty gold coins were used in every aspect of American economic life, from the average guy on the street to multi-million dollar international financial transactions. The classic portrait of Miss Liberty on the coin’s obverse will always serve as a powerful reminder of the emergence of the United States as a world power in the Nineteenth Century. Double Eagles came in two designs; the Liberty minted from 1850 to 1907 and the Saint Gaudens gold coin, which was minted from 1907 to 1933. These two types are the most widely traded and collected American gold coins. Double Eagles contain an exact gold content of .9675 ounces.
Type I, II, and III Liberty Gold Coins
In January 1850, the first regular production Liberty Double Eagles were struck. Over the years, this coin was produced in three types. Type I, sometimes referred to as the “No Motto” variety, was minted from 1849 to 1866. Type II, bearing the motto “In God We Trust” was minted from 1866 to 1876. Both I and II have the designation “Twenty D” on the reverse.
This was followed by the most common variety - Type III, 1877 to 1907, with “Twenty Dollars” fully spelled out. It was designed by James B. Longacre based on a previous $10 Liberty design. It possesses one of the most striking reverses of any US coin, an eagle in flight, its wings fully spread. The obverse bears a classical Greek rendition of Lady Liberty facing left, with hair tied in a bun and curls flowing. She is wearing a coronet inscribed with “LIBERTY.” Thirteen stars, symbolizing the original thirteen colonies, surround the bust with the date positioned beneath. The reverse depicts an eagle with outstretched wings holding an olive branch and arrows. This historic coin offers the highest gold content of any regular issue U.S. gold coin of its era.
All US gold coins from 1795-2006 were 22 karat gold. The American Buffalo Gold coin introduced in 2006 is 24 karat gold.
Type II “With Motto “
Beginning in 1866, the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was added to the reverse of $20 Liberty gold coins for the first time. This alteration in the design of the coin quickly became known as the “With Motto” variety. Type II Double Eagles were struck from 1866 to 1876 at the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints. Beginning in 1870, the newly opened Carson City mint produced Type II $20 liberty gold coins as well. $20, $10, and $5 gold coins were struck at this famous Wild West mint for just twenty-three years, until it closed in 1893.
Type III Liberty Gold Coin
In 1877, the third and final version of the Liberty coin, known as Type III, was released. It replaced the denomination “TWENTY D.” with “TWENTY DOLLARS” and Miss Liberty's portrait on the obverse was refined to show more detail. The Type III Liberty double eagle was the largest mintage of the three types of $20 double eagles with 64,137,477 coins minted from 1877 through 1907. Millions of Type III Liberty double eagles were shipped overseas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to be used as bank reserves. This coin was also shipped out of the country in large masses during 1933 when Executive order 6012 signed by President Roosevelt required Americans to turn over their gold on the claimed grounds of fighting the Great Depression. Today, those gold coins – sometimes referred to as the "Overseas Liberties" - are highly sought after rarities.
We offer Liberty Gold Coins in all grades, from jewelry grades , VF (very fine), Choice Uncirculated (MS63) and Near-Gem Uncirculated (MS69) Grades. In the lower circulated grades they can trade within about 10% of spot price of gold, without the dollar to dollar fluctuation that gold bullion coins can incur. The VF grades only react to larger moves in the market price of gold. This makes the coin very appealing to bullion buyers. U.S. Investment Grade Gold Coins in MS63 and MS64 offer an exceptional choice for opportunities to receive tremendous returns on your investment.
