Vital Stats.

Type 1 MINTAGE

Type 1 (1849-1866)
"TWENTY D.", No Motto

Liberty on the obverse is said to be modeled after a Greek sculpture, the "Crouching Venus". The reverse displays UNITED STATES OF AMERICA at 12 o'clock and the denomination TWENTY D. is at the 6 o'clock. Without a Motto Liberty Head double eagles are considered common, and though prices for the lower grades reflect the amount of gold contained in this large coin they advance steeply as low Mint State or finer coins.

In 1866 the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse of the double eagle, this resulted in two designs for 1866: TWENTY D. without a motto is referred to as the Type 1 double eagle those with TWENTY D. and a motto is referred to as Type 2.

Type 2 MINTAGE

Type 2 (1866-1876)
"TWENTY D.", With Motto

Additional changes included the oval of stars above the eagle on the reverse was expanded to accommodate the motto, modification of the reverse shield, ribbons, and rays, and the lengthening of the eagle's tail feathers.

The Type 3 series of double eagles coincided with turbulent political and economic times in this country. In 1878 the Type 3 Double Eagles circulated at the same value as $20 paper money issues, earlier they had traded at a premium. Even so, they did not widely circulate because people had become used to using paper money.

Type 3 MINTAGE

Type 3 (1877-1907)
"TWENTY DOLLARS", With Motto

In 1878 the Bland-Allison Act required the U.S. government to purchase vast amounts of silver. Unfortunately, world demand for silver was dropping. The result of this was a outflow of gold from the United States, causing the country to draw nearer to bankruptcy. National bankruptcy was narrowly averted by the behind-the-scenes actions of wealthy private citizens who transferred portions of their private gold holdings to the Sub-Treasury in New York. This was sufficient to avert the crisis, and gold stocks were slowly replenished in the following months.