The 1859 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coins are quite rare, as less than 700,000 were made across the three minting facilities striking these coins that year; Philadelphia, New Orleans, and San Francisco mints. As usual, gold coins made during that era, the San Francisco mint struck the largest share of that year’s Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin output, followed by Philadelphia and New Orleans.
The 1859 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin was designed by James B. Longacre. He served as Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 through 1869 and has designed many popular series, including the Indian Head penny and 2 Cent coin.
For coins that are well over century old, collectors are always going to first consider the condition of the coin before ever making a purchase. Being that condition is absolutely everything, collectors are going to closely analyze every aspect of the coin looking for even the smallest imperfections. These imperfections, no matter the size, are going to affect the opinion of a potential collector.
Being that not every collector is a coin expert, most prefer to have their coins sent away for grading so that a professional can determine the exact condition of the coin. This is an expensive process, so we have provided below a basic outline of the different characteristics associated with coins of certain grades.
Uncirculated: A coin that is graded as being Uncirculated is one that never spent any time being exchanged on the open market. Instead, these pieces were immediately put into safekeeping after being minted. Thanks to this, they have retained their original shine and texture, and are some of the most popular coins in the eyes of collectors.
Extremely Fine: A coin that is graded as being Extremely Fine is one that spent almost no time at all exchanging hands. These coins will have only very minimal signs of wear and tear that will most often consist of light scratching. All in all, collectors love these coins because they are in great condition and are not as pricy as their Uncirculated counterparts.
Fine: A coin that is graded as being Fine is one that was circulated for a good bit of time, but did not incur any major damage during that time. All in all, these coins are in decent shape and apart from scratching on both sides of the coin and the wearing away of the coin’s texture, they are in fairly well-preserved condition.
Good: Good is the lowest grade a coin can receive and is indicative of a piece that has been quite heavily circulated over the years. These coins will be complete with a host of damage including chipping and bending. All in all, their poor condition drives collectors away, but the affordable price makes these coins almost irresistible at times.
When it comes to determining a price for coins that are well over 100 years old, there are a few different factors that you absolutely must consider. For one, the fact that there were multiple types of Liberty Head $20 Gold Coins produced every year means that the type you own will undoubtedly play into the price you pay. Secondly, collectors obsess over condition, so it goes without saying that coins that have been well-preserved will sell for higher prices than coins that have been neglected. Below is a chart aimed at giving you a better idea of what you can expect to pay for a 11859 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin given its condition and type.
Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin
DATE | GOOD | FINE | EXTREMELY FINE | UNCIRCULATED |
---|---|---|---|---|
1859 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin | N/A | N/A | $4,000 | $8,000 |
1859 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin (O) | N/A | N/A | $27,500 | $50,000 |
1859 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin (S) | N/A | N/A | $2,400 | $3,000 | Source: Red Book |