Double Eagles

The United States minted the $20 Gold Liberty Double Eagle coins from 1849 until 1907. The term Double Eagle was given to this denomination of coin due to the fact that these coins are double the size and amount of the gold Eagle coins ($10). The design of the Liberty Head Double Eagle gold coin was produced by the now famous James B. Longacre. Longacre had a heavy roll in the design of United States coins and is well tied in with numismatic history. Liberty Head Double Eagle gold $20 coins were struck from the Philadelphia, Denver, Carson City, New Orleans, and San Francisco mints. There are three major sub-types of this coin. The first design was used from 1849 until 1866, which is noted with no motto on the reverse and the denomination design as 'Twenty D.'. The second sub-type was produced from 1866 until 1876, in which the motto 'In God We Trust' was added to the reverse above the eagle. The third and final sub-type was the change in the design of the denomination from 'Twenty D.' to 'Twenty Dollars'.