Coronet Double Eagles are broken into three classifications. Class I was minted from 1850 through 1866. Class II originated in 1866 when the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added above the eagle on the reverse. The motto was an appeal to the Almighty for national guidance and healing during the difficult Civil War era. In 1877, the reverse was modified by replacing the “D.“abbreviation with the full word “DOLLARS “, resulting in Class III double eagles. These were minted every year until 1907 when the Coronet twenty-dollar coin series was replaced by the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle.
The reverse was patterned after the Great Seal of the United States, which had been an inspiration for U.S. coinage as far back as 1797. The face value denomination was indicated as “TWENTY D“.
An analogous Liberty head, designed by Christian Gobrecht, had already started being used in 1838 when the ten-dollar (eagle) coin was reintroduced; in 1839, she was represented on the five-dollar coin and, in 1840, on the two-and-a-half-dollar coin. Numismatists have named the Longacre twenty-dollar coin as the Coronet Double Eagle. It is often referred to as the Liberty Head type and it was minted from 1850.The $20 double eagle quickly became the preferred denomination for international transactions and bank deposit holdings. Thus, larger quantities of double eagle coins were minted than any other gold denomination.
More than 100 million Coronet Double Eagles were minted over a span of 58 years. Many dates are rather common today in lesser grades and experience price movements paralleling bullion market activity, and are popular for gold buyers seeking a hedge against inflation with some built-in collectible value.
The Liberty 20 dollars Specification.
| Diameter | Weight | Minted | Fineness | Designer |
| 34.0 mm | 33.436 gm | 1849-1907 | .900 Gold/.100 Copper | James Longacre |
Weight of gold = 33.44 x 900/1000 =30.1 grams of pure gold
| Année | EXTREMELY FINE. SUP : Superbe | UNCIRCULATED BU: Brillant universel |
| 1850 Liberty 20 dollars | $3,200 | $5,500 |
| 1850 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $5,750 | $14,500 |
| 1851 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,300 | $2,750 |
| 1851 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $4,250 | $7,000 |
| 1852Liberty 20 dollars | $2,300 | $2,900 |
| 1852 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $4,500 | $7,500 |
| 1853 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $2,750 |
| 1853Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $4,500 | $10,500 |
| 1854 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $2,850 |
| 1854 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $260,000 | $485,000 |
| 1854 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $4,000 | $8,500 |
| 1855 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,350 | $3,000 |
| 1855 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $25,000 | $47,500 |
| 1855 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| 1856 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| 1856 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $275,000 | $475,000 |
| 1856 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $2,850 |
| 1857 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $3,250 |
| 1857 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $5,500 | $12,000 |
| 1857 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $2,850 |
| 1858 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| 1858 Liberty 20 dollars(O) | $6,750 | $15,000 |
| 1858 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,500 | $3,000 |
| 1859 Liberty 20 dollars | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| 1859 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $27,500 | $50,000 |
| 1859 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,400 | $3,000 |
| 1860 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $2,850 |
| 1860 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $28,500 | $50,000 |
| 1860 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| 1861 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,250 | $2,850 |
| 1861 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $24,000 | $50,000 |
| 1861 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $3,250 |
| 1862 Liberty 20 dollars | $5,750 | $12,000 |
| 1862 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $3,200 |
| 1863 Liberty 20 dollars | $3,000 | $6,750 |
| 1863 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| 1864 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,500 | $6,500 |
| 1864 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| 1865 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,100 | $2,850 |
| 1865 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $2,100 | $2,850 |
| 1866 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,725 | $2,500 |
| 1866 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,725 | $3,500 |
| 1867 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,725 | $1,850 |
| 1867 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,725 | $2,250 |
| 1868 Liberty 20 dollars | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| 1868 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,725 | $1,850 |
| 1869 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,725 | $2,000 |
| 1869 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,725 | $1,775 |
| 1870 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,725 | $2,500 |
| 1870 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $275,000 | $325,000 |
| 1870 Liberty 20 dollars(S) | $1,725 | $1,775 |
| 1871 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,725 | $2,500 |
| 1871 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $23,500 | $48,500 |
| 1871 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,650 | $1,700 |
| 1872 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,650 | $1,700 |
| 1872 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $5,000 | $11,000 |
| 1872 Liberty 20 dollars(S) | $1,650 | $1,700 |
| 1873 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,650 | $1,700 |
| 1873 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $6,500 | $12,500 |
| 1873 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1874 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1874 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $3,500 | $5,500 |
| 1874 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1875 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1875 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $3,250 | $3,500 |
| 1875 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1876 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1876 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| 1876 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,650 | $1,675 |
| 1877 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1877 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $3,500 | $5,000 |
| 1877 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1878 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1878 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $5,000 | $9,500 |
| 1878 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1879 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1879 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $5,000 | $12,000 |
| 1879 Liberty 20 dollars (O) | $18,500 | $37,500 |
| 1879 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1880 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1880 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1881 Liberty 20 dollars | $25,000 | $40,000 |
| 1881 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1882 Liberty 20 dollars | $37,500 | $70,000 |
| 1882 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $2,750 | $3,500 |
| 1882 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1883 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $2,500 | $4,000 |
| 1883 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1884 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| 1884 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1885 Liberty 20 dollars | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| 1885 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $5,000 | $12,500 |
| 1885 Liberty 20 dollars(S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1886 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $37,500 | $60,000 |
| 1887 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1888 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1888 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1889 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1889 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $2,500 | $4,000 |
| 1889 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1890 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1890 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $2,500 | $2,800 |
| 1890 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1891 Liberty 20 dollars | $13,500 | $22,500 |
| 1891 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $10,000 | $16,500 |
| 1891 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,500 | $1,575 |
| 1892 Liberty 20 dollars | $4,500 | $7,500 |
| 1892 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $2,650 | $4,000 |
| 1892 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1893 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1893 Liberty 20 dollars (CC) | $3,500 | $4,500 |
| 1893 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1894 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1894 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1895 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1895 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1896 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1896 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1897 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1897 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1898 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,600 | $1,650 |
| 1898 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1899 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1899 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1900 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1900 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1901 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1901 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1902 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| 1902 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1903 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| 1903 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1904 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1904 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1905 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| 1905 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1906 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| 1906 Liberty 20 dollars (D) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1906 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1907 Liberty 20 dollars | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1907 Liberty 20 dollars (D) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
| 1907 Liberty 20 dollars (S) | $1,475 | $1,485 |
Source: Red Book
The story of the California gold rush is well known. A few nuggets found in a mountain stream in Coloma 40 miles from Sutter’s Mill in 1848 triggered a global movement towards the Californian gold fields. In the single year of 1849, over two hundred thousand people arrived to look for gold and was a major event in the settlement of the American West.
The gold produced by California distorted the world market for the metal. The price of silver increased in relation to that of gold so that it became profitable to smelt silver coins for the value of their metal content. Silver coins were rapidly disappearing so the minting of gold dollars was authorized in the Act 3rd March 1849. The authorization also permitted a larger coin to be minted, the gold twenty dollars or double eagle. The $20 double eagle was first designed by Mint Engraver James B. Longacre, his initial, L, appears at the cut of the bust. The obverse featured Liberty facing left, wearing a small crown called a coronet, inscribed with the word LIBERTY and was surrounded by 13 stars. Longacre modeled Liberty from the ancient Roman sculpture, Crouching Venus.