1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

The 1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coins were produced at the Philadelphia, Carson City and San Francisco mints. The San Francisco mint generated a majority of the 900,000 coins originally minted that year, as gold coins circulated mainly in the West. Bear in mind, that $20 was a lot of money in the 1800’s, and therefore gold coins were mainly used during large transactions, quite often those that were banking related.

The Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin weighs 33.44 grams and contain 0.9613 ounces of gold. They’re also 34 millimeters wide, which places their diameter about halfway between the widths of a modern-day half dollar and silver dollar. The large size and hefty weight of the 1889 Liberty Head, designed by James B. Longacre, makes them favorites among both numismatists and gold bullion investors.

Grading the 1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

By having a coin graded, you can ensure the coin’s authenticity and metal content while getting an expert opinion on the coin’s overall condition. The grading process is a step-by-step way of forming an accurate opinion of a coin and its potential market value. A team of expert numismatists will examine the coin’s every detail, and assign the coin a grade based on its condition. The better the overall condition that a coin is in, the more potential value the coin may fetch. You can get a good idea of how your coin may be graded by performing a close inspection of your coin looking for any signs of damage or aging.

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

Uncirculated: Coins in this condition will look as if they were just struck today. The coin’s images, text and other details will look clean and crisp, with even the smaller details being quite clear and easy to make out. Coins given a grade of uncirculated will have no visible blemishes on the surfaces or details, and even their color may be close to original. Some coins, however, may have slight variations in color or finish due to aging. You can use a magnifying glass to examine the details if your coin. This allows you to see if all of the coin’s details remain clean, or if there has been any erosion or damage.

Extremely Fine: A coin that is graded to be extremely fine is still in excellent overall condition. Just one step down the grading ladder, extremely fine coins will have all details relatively free from scratches or wear, although some very minor imperfections may be present. Some of the coin’s smaller details may show some signs of age-related erosion.

Fine: Another step down the grading ladder, coins in fine condition will still have all of their details intact, although the coin’s surfaces and detail may have very visible blemishes or damage. The coin may feel smoother from wear and tear over the years, and the finish may appear dull.

Good: Yet another step down the grading scale, coins in good condition may have significant damage to the images, text, edges or other details. Sometimes the damage is so severe that a magnifying glass may be required to see all of the coin’s details and to identify the coin. Even though coins in good condition are far from perfect, they may still be quite valuable.

Pricing the 1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

If you would like to determine an accurate price for the Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin, you must first assess the condition of the coin. In addition to that, by paying attention to the type of coin you own you will be able to tell just how rare the coin you have is. Listed below is a chart aimed at giving you a better idea of what you might be asked to pay for a 1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin given its condition and type.

Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin	N/A	N/A	$1,500	$1,575
1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin (CC)	N/A	N/A	$2,500	$4,000
1889 Liberty Head $20 Gold Coin (S)	N/A	N/A	$1,500	$1,575
Source: Red Book