20 Dollars Liberty Head - Double Eagle, No motto (1856) — United States

Overview

A gold 20 Dollars coin of the United States, known as the 'Liberty Head - Double Eagle, No motto'. The obverse features Liberty with a coronet facing left, surrounded by 13 stars. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with a Union shield. Minted in 1856 at the New Orleans Mint ('O' mintmark) as a rare Proof strike with a mintage of only 2 pieces. Composed of .900 gold with a reeded edge.

Specifications

Country

United States

Year

1856

Composition

Gold (.900) (.100 copper)

Weight

33.436 g

Diameter

34 mm

Mint

New Orleans

Mintmark

O

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM# 74.1, A74.1, PCGS# 8902-8932, 8934, etc.

Issuer

United States

Design details

Collector insights

• Design heritage: James Barton Longacre is credited as the designer for the Standard circulation coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
• Struck at: New Orleans (mintmark O). Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
• Low mintage: Only 2 pieces reported. This puts the issue into key-date territory for its series; expect steep grade-based price scaling and a higher counterfeit risk — provenance and third-party grading matter.
• Gold issue: Gold (.900) (.100 copper) — bullion demand competes with numismatic demand. Weight and fineness (not just face value) drive the melt-value floor.
• Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 74.1, A74.1, PCGS# 8902-8932, 8934, etc.. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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