1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

The 1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coins (designed by James B. Longacre) are considerably common as more than 1 million were struck by the San Francisco and Philadelphia mints. The San Francisco facility produced the bulk of that year’s issue, as they and other pre-1933 gold coins circulated mainly in the West. Keep in mind that $20 was a lot of money in the 1800’s, meaning Liberty Head $20 Gold Coins were mainly used during large transactions, most often banking related.

For collectors, the fact that the Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin is no longer being produced means that now is the best time to acquire them. This is so because as time moves forward, there are only going to be fewer and fewer of these coins available for purchase.

Grading the 1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

The process for grading a coin is not only thorough but is fairly subjective. Coins are put through a rigorous grading process to verify their authenticity and metal content. Coins are also closely examined by teams of expert coin graders to make a determination on their overall condition. While the process follows some strict guidelines, these expert graders are responsible in the end for assigning an appropriate grade to a coin. The better the overall condition of a coin and the higher the grade, the more valuable the coin may be. You can get a very good idea of how your coin may be graded by closely examining your coin looking for any damage or imperfections.

Use the specifications below to determine how your Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin might be graded.

Uncirculated: Uncirculated coins will look brand new and appear freshly struck. The images, text and other details of coins in this condition will be clean and the lines and details will be easy to make out. Some coins in this condition will have closely maintained their original color and luster, while others may have very slight discolorations due to age. You can easily use a magnifying glass to examine your coin’s details. A magnifying glass will allow you to see the cleanliness of the details and engraving, and to see if any erosion or wear has taken place. Coins in this condition are generally considered to be in pristine condition.

Extremely Fine: Coins that are assigned a grade of extremely fine are in excellent condition as well. These coins are one step lower on the grading scale, and they may have some slight imperfections, blemishes or discoloration. Some of the coin’s finer details, such as the eagle, may have wear and tear or feel worn down to the touch. Despite this, these coins remain beautiful to look at and are highly regarded for their condition.

Fine: The next step down the grading scale, coins in fine condition have maintained their images, text and other details although these details may have visible signs of damage such as dents or scratches. The texture of the coin may be eroded, and the coin’s finish may appear worn down or even dull.

Good: Coins in good condition have significant damage to the images, text or other details. The edges may also be affected by wear and tear. Often times, coins in this condition cannot be identified without a visual aid such as a magnifying glass. Despite their sometimes beat up appearance, coins given a grade of fine may still be very valuable if they are scarce.

Pricing the 1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

When it comes down to it, pricing out Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin is nothing too difficult to do. First, the condition of the coin means everything, so the better condition the coin is in the higher the price it will sell for. Secondly, because there were multiple types of these coins minted every year, the type of coin you own also plays a pivotal role in determining price. Below you will find a chart aimed at giving you a better idea of what you might have to pay for a 1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin given its condition and type.

Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin	N/A	N/A	$1,500	$1,575
1888 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin (S)	N/A	N/A	$1,500	$1,575
Source: Red Book