1875-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS AU58

Here’s a reasonably priced double eagle from the famed San Francisco Mint. This 1875-S $20 gold piece graded AU58 would serve as an excellent type coin for your collection. Take a good look at the images of this piece. It is a beauty, with its golden-yellow coloration and superb AU58 state of preservation. PCGS has graded 974 examples as AU58 with 1,576 finer.

The Old San Francisco Mint, where this affordable piece was struck in 1875.

The obverse of the $20 Double Eagle features a left-facing Liberty design influenced by Greco-Roman sculpture. A pearl-encrusted coronet inscribed with “Liberty” adorns her wavy hair, which flows down her neck. Thirteen stars that represent the original colonies/states surround her bust. The date is found below the image of Liberty.

The reverse presents Longacre's exaggerated design, featuring a heraldic eagle, one that is quite different from eagles previously found upon our coinage. Dramatic rays emanate from our national bird, and a circle of 13 stars is found hovering over the eagle. Two contrived ribbons encircle the awkward creature, one of which the eagle holds firmly in its beak. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is split between the two ribbons. A federal shield is found on its breast and arrows and the ivy branch of peace are found, respectively, in its right and left talons. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY DOLLARS surround the bird at the coin's rim.