Liberty Double Eagle Value
As of October 2, 2026, with gold at $4,138.56 per troy ounce, a Liberty Head double eagle has a melt value of $4,004.06. Every Liberty $20 holds 0.9675 troy ounces of pure gold, the same as the Saint-Gaudens design that replaced it in 1907.
The Liberty Head $20 gold coin, struck from 1850 to 1907, contains 0.9675 troy ounces of pure gold. The melt value below tracks the live gold spot price.
Melt value per coin
$4,004.06/coin
- Gold content
- 0.9675 troy oz
- Purity
- 90% gold
- Gold spot
- $4,138.56/oz
- As of
- Oct 2, 2026, 17:08 UTC
1 coin: $4,004.06
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Liberty Double Eagle Specifications
Congress authorized the double eagle in the Act of March 3, 1849, as California Gold Rush gold reached the Mint. James B. Longacre's Liberty Head design weighs 33.436 grams at .900 fineness, for 0.9675 troy ounces of pure gold. That's identical to the Saint-Gaudens double eagle, so the two always share a melt value. The US gold coin melt values table covers every denomination, and the gold price page has the live spot chart.
| Specification | Liberty Head Double Eagle |
|---|---|
| Years minted | 1850 to 1907 |
| Face value | $20 |
| Gross weight | 33.436 grams (516 grains) |
| Fineness | .900 (90% gold) |
| Actual gold weight (AGW) | 0.9675 troy oz (30.093 grams) |
| Diameter | 34 mm |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Mint marks | None (Philadelphia), CC (Carson City), D (Denver), O (New Orleans), S (San Francisco); on the reverse below the eagle |
Liberty Double Eagle Melt Value at Different Gold Prices
Each row is 0.9675 troy ounces multiplied by the listed gold price.
| Gold spot price | Liberty Head Double Eagle melt value |
|---|---|
| $3,500 per oz | $3,386.25 |
| $3,750 per oz | $3,628.13 |
| $4,000 per oz | $3,870.00 |
| $4,250 per oz (closest to current spot) | $4,111.88 |
| $4,500 per oz | $4,353.75 |
| $4,750 per oz | $4,595.63 |
| $5,000 per oz | $4,837.50 |
Liberty Double Eagle Types
The reverse tells the three types apart.
| Type | How to identify it |
|---|---|
| Type 1 (1850 to 1866) | No motto on the reverse; the denomination reads TWENTY D. |
| Type 2 (1866 to 1876) | IN GOD WE TRUST added to the reverse; still TWENTY D. |
| Type 3 (1877 to 1907) | Denomination spelled out as TWENTY DOLLARS |
Which Liberty Double Eagles Are Worth More Than Melt?
Most common-date Liberty $20s trade close to melt, which makes them, with common Saints, the standard way to buy pre-1933 gold. Date, mint mark and grade decide the rest. The tiers below summarize the PCGS CoinFacts and NGC price guides.
| Coins | Typical value against melt |
|---|---|
| High-mintage dates (1904 is the best known), circulated | Melt plus a modest premium |
| Common dates, certified mint state | Premium grows with grade |
| Carson City (CC) issues, 1870 to 1893 | Premiums in every grade; the 1870-CC is the rarest of them |
| New Orleans rarities such as the 1854-O and 1856-O | Major rarities priced far above melt |
| 1883, 1884 and 1887 Philadelphia | Struck only as proofs; rare in any condition |
Check the mint mark below the eagle on the reverse before selling a Liberty $20 as bullion. For typical dealer markups, see the coin premium page.
Published by MetalCharts, a free precious metals resource providing real-time prices, interactive charts, educational guides, and portfolio management tools. All market data sourced from COMEX, LBMA, and LME.
Data Methodology
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