Designed by well-known portraitist and engraver James B. Longacre, the $20 Gold Liberty Head Double Eagle coin was minted from 1849 through 1907. The term Double Eagle refers to the coin being double the size and denomination of the Eagle coin ($10). $20 Gold Liberty Head Double Eagle coins were struck in the Philadelphia, Denver, Carson City, New Orleans, and San Francisco mints. There are three significant design subtypes of this coin. The first iteration, produced from 1849 through 1866, had a denomination design that read “Twenty D.” and did not have a motto on the reverse. The second subtype, produced from 1866 through 1876, incorporated the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the reverse above the eagle. The third and final design update modified the denomination design from “Twenty D.” to “Twenty Dollars.”
