U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Liberty Head double eagle
Liberty double eagles: three reverse types on twenty dollars
The words below the eagle identify a major design boundary.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
Three regular types and the 1849 pattern
Regular circulation coinage begins in 1850. The 1849 is a special pattern context. Early regular reverses state TWENTY D.; the motto is added in 1866, and TWENTY DOLLARS appears in 1877. Record motto and denomination wording before choosing a subtype standard.
Type references: PCGS Liberty Head $20 ↗
A reverse variety needs more than tall letters
The Paquet reverse is a specialist attribution, with particularly rare 1861 contexts. Photograph the entire lettering, eagle, date, mintmark, and edge. Match the exact dies and authentication record before using a rare-variety sale.
Type references: PCGS Liberty Head $20 ↗
Recovered coins and surviving availability
Shipwreck recoveries can change the available population of some issues, notably 1857-S. Provenance must be documented rather than assumed from the date. Inspect cheek, hair, eagle, fields, and rims for wear, cleaning, repair, or conservation effects, then compare matching issue and surface quality. Mintage and recovered survivors are distinct counts.
Type references: PCGS Liberty Head $20 ↗
Selected reviewed issue records
These catalog standards describe the named issue, not a measured specimen. The selected records below do not cover every date, mint, strike, or die variety. Reported production is labeled separately from established mintage. Unknown standards and mintage remain visible; survival estimates and certified populations are separate research questions.
No issue-level specification or mintage records are published for this category yet. Verify the exact date, mint, strike, metal, and subtype in its reference before using a numerical standard.
References and review
Reference reviewed October 5, 2026. Historical facts and catalog standards need to match the exact issue; price comparisons should be researched at the time of valuation.
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