U.S. Heritage Coins

The Double Eagle was by far part of the largest circulating of gold coins in America history following the California Gold Rush. The new mines that became prominent during this time yielded more gold than at any other time in history. With the arrival of large amounts of gold a need for larger denomination coins arose spurring the design of the $20 liberty. These large quantities of gold helped speed the development of the western part of America and the first $20 gold coin. The design for the new gold double eagle coin was completed by chief engraver James Barton Longacre. The 20 dollar coin design consisted of a woman’s head with a meticulous nose. She was wearing a pearl-bordered diadem with the words “LIBERTY inscribed. This was fashioned after an ancient Greco-Roman sculpture called the Crouching Venus. The reverse side was based upon the Great Seal of the United States and displayed a spread eagle with a shield on its breast along with 13 stars. The Type 1 double eagles were produced at the Philadelphia Mint from 1850-1865, New Orleans from 1850-1861 and San Francisco Mint from 1854-1866. A mintmark indicating the place of production can be found near the tail of the eagle. The average yearly production was several hundred thousand while the 1861 issue was just under three million. This design was last in use during the 1866 San Francisco minting. They were also part of the Type 2 production, which included the IN GOD WE TRUST motto that is still in used today. While many of the early date gold double eagles were thought to be to extremely rare, recent ship wreck discoveries have rendered that information as inaccurate. In 1987, thousands of gold coins were recovered from the SS Central America which was lost during a hurricane in while on its voyage from California. A small number of the double eagles were found in the wreck of the SS Brother Jonathon as well as the ship the S.S. Republic.