Liberty Head Double Eagle — Type I No Motto
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1850–1866
Fine gold: 0.967500 troy oz
United States • 20 U.S. dollars
Liberty Head Double Eagle — Type III TWENTY DOLLARS
Liberty Head Double Eagle — Type III TWENTY DOLLARS has nominal fine gold of 0.9675 troy oz (30.092614 g) at the historical .900 standard. This is the original Liberty Head $20 type with TWENTY DOLLARS written in full. The 1877 representative illustrates the first-year denomination-lettering change.
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- United States
- Face denomination
- 20 U.S. dollars
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
- Gross weight (grams)
- 33.43623756
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.9675
- Diameter (mm)
- 34
- Edge
- Reeded
- Mint
- United States Mint; mint facility varies by issue
- Mint mark
- Varies by issue; inspect reference
- Issue years
- 1877–1907
Type 3 spells out TWENTY DOLLARS. Regular-strike mint coverage and proof availability vary by year.
- Source precision
- Nominal 516-grain gross standard; .900 gold; exact modern unit conversion stored to 8 decimals; fine-weight override derived from historical standard. Catalog reference diameter, not a tolerance or authentication threshold.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
The museum coin shows the left-facing coronet Liberty, stars and an 1877 date. Its familiar portrait continues the Liberty Head double-eagle family. It does not identify Type III without the reverse inscription.
Reverse: identify the back
IN GOD WE TRUST sits above the heraldic eagle and TWENTY DOLLARS is spelled out at the bottom. That expanded denomination is the useful distinction from Type II’s TWENTY D. abbreviation.
History and purpose
The Mint identifies 1877 as the reverse wording change from TWENTY D. to TWENTY DOLLARS. This final Liberty Head double-eagle type continued through 1907, when a different Saint-Gaudens design also entered production.
How to identify this variant
Read the full reverse denomination and check the Liberty Head portrait and complete date. The nominal diameter reference is 34 mm. A 1907 date can occur on a Liberty Head or Saint-Gaudens $20 coin and does not select the design by itself.
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
The Type III span is 1877–1907. Mint marks, individual dates and collector varieties require issue-specific attribution. The pictured 1877 museum coin is a representative identification image, not a substitute for examining another year.
Melt value versus collector value
Keep documentation, surfaces and legible mint marks intact. The type shares its nominal fine-gold standard with other original double eagles, while collectible significance can vary by issue and condition. No fixed premium is assigned here.
Authenticity and condition
Check the spelled-out denomination, motto, portrait, date, reeded edge and dimensions. A date or letter that seems altered should be documented and examined. Avoid cleaning or scraping details to force a subtype attribution.
Selling this coin
Describe these as Type III Liberty Head $20 double eagles and include a readable reverse. Record date, mint mark, holder and any repair. Distinguish Saint-Gaudens coins rather than combining all 1907 pieces under one design name.
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
Is a 1907 $20 coin always a Saint-Gaudens double eagle?
No. Liberty Head Type III coins also bear 1907. Check the actual portrait and reverse.
What reverse wording identifies Type III?
TWENTY DOLLARS is written in full, together with the motto above the eagle. Type II uses the shorter TWENTY D.
References
- U.S. Mint: Historical gold eagle designs — identity; dates denomination wording changed 1877; design Longacre Liberty Head double eagle (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
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
Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle — Original Regular Relief
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1907–1916, 1920–1933
Fine gold: 0.967500 troy oz
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