20 Dollars, United States, 1854-S

Description (Brief):

One (1) 20 dollar coin

Description (Brief)

United States, 1854

Description (Brief)

Obverse Image: Liberty wearing a coronet and facing left. 13 stars around.

Description (Brief)

Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1854

Description (Brief)

Reverse Image: Heraldic eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest. Scrolls on either side of eagle, ring of 13 stars above eagle's head, rays of sun above stars.

Description (Brief)

Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TWENTY D. / E PLURIBUS UNUM / S

The sheer size of the California gold strike altered the nature of American numismatics. It was not only that mintage figures dramatically increased; the actual range of denominations increased as well.

Prior to 1849, there had been three gold coins: the quarter eagle, half eagle, and eagle (or $2.50, $5.00, and $10.00 coins). By 1854, three more had been added, a dollar, a three-dollar piece, and a double eagle, or twenty-dollar coin.

Artist James Barton Longacre designed all three of the new coins. The double eagle was the most popular. For its obverse, Longacre employed a simple head of Liberty, wearing a coronet. Stars surrounded the head of the goddess, and the date appeared below. The reverse depicted a somewhat ornate representation of an eagle, a "glory" of stars and rays above, the national motto to either side.

In 1854, the United States created a new branch mint in San Francisco to deal with the fruits of the gold rush. It was intended to replace a whole galaxy of private California mints that had created a variety of local coins.

This double eagle was the first coin the new federal mint struck. Below the eagle, each coin from the new branch Mint bore a distinctive small "S." This distinguished the coin from ones struck in Philadelphia, which had no such mark, and ones struck at New Orleans, which had an "O."

Date Made: 1854

Mint: U.S. Mint, San FranciscoMaker: Longacre, James Barton

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: California, San Francisco

See more items in: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection, Coins, Numismatics, United States Double Eagle, Coins, Currency and Medals, Legendary Coins

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Web Publication: http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm

Related Publication: Zoomable Image and Details, Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms

Credit Line: U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1985.0441.0488Accession Number: 1985.0441Catalog Number: 1985.0441.0488

Object Name: gold coinProof Coin

Physical Description: gold (overall material)Measurements: overall: .3 cm x 3.53 cm; 1/8 in x 1 3/8 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ae-8998-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_741884

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