Obverse: identify the front

The photographed 1856-S coin shows Liberty facing left with a coronet, a ring of stars and 1856 below. The broad Liberty portrait differs from the slender full-length figure on later Saint-Gaudens double eagles.

Reverse: identify the back

A heraldic eagle, shield, rays, stars and ornate scrollwork fill the reverse. TWENTY D. appears at the bottom, and there is no IN GOD WE TRUST motto. The S below the eagle identifies the mint attribution of this representative.

History and purpose

Longacre’s double-eagle design followed the California gold discoveries. Specialist type references distinguish the no-motto form from the later motto form introduced in 1866. A pattern date is not the first circulating issue date used in this record.

How to identify this variant

Match TWENTY D. with the absence of the reverse motto, then read the date and any mint mark. The nominal diameter reference is 34 mm. A twenty-dollar face denomination is not a promise of twenty current dollars or one fine-gold ounce.

Understanding its metal content

The historical standard is 516 grains gross at .900 fineness. Multiply 516 by .900 and divide by 480 grains per troy ounce: 0.9675 fine-gold troy oz. Gross metric mass is derived using 0.06479891 g per grain; the displayed 33.43623756 g is a conversion of the nominal standard, not an assay or the measured mass of a worn coin. The remaining 10% is alloy metal; historical legislation permitted copper or a copper/silver alloy.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

Type I circulating issues span 1850–1866. The 1866 date can also occur on Type II with the added motto, so date-only filtering cannot distinguish them. The 1856-S representative does not identify a specific die variety on another coin.

Melt value versus collector value

Retain mint marks, provenance and any shipwreck or grading documentation without assigning that provenance from appearance. Collector context can matter independently of nominal gold content. The library makes no assumption about a user coin’s recovery history.

Authenticity and condition

Inspect the complete reverse design, motto absence, denomination, date, edge and physical dimensions. A worn or weak motto area needs examination before assigning Type I. Do not clean a coin to make a supposed subtype more visible.

Selling this coin

Describe a confirmed example as a Type I no-motto $20 double eagle, with date and mint mark. Keep its documentation and photographs together. Separate it from Type II/III and modern one-ounce gold products for the appraisal.

Sources and calculation methodology

The historical Mint report and Coinage Act document nominal gold standards; NIST documents the unit conversions. The fine-weight override retains the result from grains instead of recalculating from a rounded catalog gram weight. Design and date references are separate from photographs. These calculations describe correctly identified genuine coins at standard weight. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. A collector assessment and a purchase offer are separate from metal content.

Common questions

References

• U.S. Mint: Historical gold eagle designs — identity; design Longacre double eagle; motto introduced 1866; TWENTY D. before 1877 (checked 2026-10-10)
• Historical Coinage Act of 1873, sections 13–14 — weight 516 grains; fineness .900; gold-alloy standard; historical reference, not current legal guidance (checked 2026-10-10)

Issue-year references

• PCGS: double-eagle dates by reverse type

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

Liberty Head Double Eagle — Type II Motto, TWENTY D.

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy

Issue years: 1866–1876

Fine gold: 0.967500 troy oz

Add to collection

Liberty Head Double Eagle — Type III TWENTY DOLLARS

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy

Issue years: 1877–1907

Fine gold: 0.967500 troy oz

Add to collection