1855-S $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagle PCGS AU53 CAC

Introduction

The 1855-S $20 Liberty Gold Double Eagle graded PCGS AU53 CAC is a well-preserved example of early San Francisco Mint gold coinage. Certified About Uncirculated 53 by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and approved by Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC), this coin retains substantial original design detail while reflecting its history as a circulating nineteenth-century gold piece. Containing approximately .9675 troy ounces of pure gold, the 1855-S Double Eagle combines significant precious metal content with the history of the California Gold Rush era.

History

The Liberty Head Double Eagle was introduced in 1850 following the California Gold Rush, which dramatically increased the nation's gold supply and created the need for a larger circulating gold denomination. Designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, the $20 Double Eagle became an important vehicle for converting newly mined gold into federal coinage and facilitating large commercial and banking transactions.

The San Francisco Mint opened in 1854 to process the enormous quantities of gold being produced in California, making the 1855-S an early issue from the new branch mint. Production increased substantially during its second year of operation, with 879,675 Double Eagles struck in 1855. The issue belongs to the original Type I Liberty Head series, characterized by its No Motto reverse and abbreviated TWENTY D. denomination. Examples of the 1855-S were also recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Central America, which sank off the East Coast in 1857 while carrying passengers and gold from California, providing a tangible connection to the movement of Gold Rush wealth across the country.

Design

The obverse features James B. Longacre's left-facing portrait of Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed with LIBERTY. Thirteen stars representing the original states surround the portrait, while the date 1855 appears below. This classical portrait remained the defining obverse design of the Liberty Head Double Eagle throughout the series.

The reverse depicts a heraldic eagle with a shield across its breast, holding an olive branch and arrows in its talons. An oval of thirteen stars and rays appears above the eagle, while the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY D. identify the issuing nation and denomination. As a Type I issue, the reverse does not include IN GOD WE TRUST. The S mintmark beneath the eagle identifies this coin as a product of the San Francisco Mint.