1906 $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle CACG PR65 Cameo

Introduction

The 1906 $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle is a scarce Proof gold coin from the final years of the long-running Liberty Head series. Designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, this Philadelphia Mint issue had a Proof mintage of just 94 coins. This example is graded CACG PR65 CAMEO, combining Gem Proof preservation with the contrasting fields and design elements recognized by the Cameo designation.

History

The Liberty Head Double Eagle was introduced for regular circulation in 1850 following the discovery of vast quantities of gold during the California Gold Rush. The $20 denomination provided an efficient way to convert the nation's growing gold supply into federal coinage. Designed by James B. Longacre, the Liberty Head Double Eagle remained in production through 1907, when it was replaced by Augustus Saint-Gaudens' celebrated Double Eagle design.
By 1906, the Liberty Head Double Eagle was nearing the end of its nearly six-decade production run. While 69,596 regular-issue 1906 Double Eagles were struck at Philadelphia, the Mint produced only 94 Proof examples. Proof coins were specially manufactured for collectors, and the limited production of the 1906 Proof makes it a distinctly different issue from the year's circulation strikes.

Design

The obverse features Longacre's left-facing portrait of Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Her hair is arranged in a bun with curls descending behind her neck, while thirteen stars representing the original states surround the portrait. The date 1906 appears below.
The reverse features a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings and a shield on its breast, surrounded by an oval of stars and rays. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appears around the upper border, while the denomination TWENTY DOLLARS is displayed below. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the eagle, a feature of the Type III Liberty Head Double Eagle design used from 1877 through 1907.