1861-O $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle, PCGS AU53

AUCM is proud to present for consideration a great rarity struck during the first year of the Civil War. The 1861-O $20 double eagle is indeed a great rarity, with only 135-165 extant pieces, per Doug Winter. This issue was the last double eagle struck in New Orleans until the denomination was minted there again starting in 1879. It is significant to gold specialists due to its being the final Type One issue from this storied mint. What makes this issue even more historically important is that it was struck under the auspices of three different authorities: the Union, the State of Louisiana, and the Confederacy. Doug Winter has determined the mintage breakdown to be:

The Union: 5,000 minted from January 1 to January 26, 1861

State of Louisiana: 9,750 minted from January 26 to May 31, 1861

The Confederacy: 2,991 minted after June 1, 1861