20 Dollars Double Eagle
United States · gold · 1849-1933
Overview
The double eagle is the large American gold coin, with a face value of twenty dollars, struck from 1849 to 1933, born of the Californian gold rush. Two great types follow one another: James Longacre's Liberty Head, then, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Augustus Saint-Gaudens' striding Liberty, with a flying eagle on the reverse. The coin weighs 33.436 g of 900 ‰ gold, that is 30.093 g of fine gold, with a diameter of 34 mm; the eagle, of half that face value, weighs 16.718 g of which 15.046 g of fine gold for 27 mm. The end of convertibility in 1933 led to the melting of a large part of the official holdings and to the end of the series, whose last date hardly circulated at all. Common pieces, often kept in Europe, show light contact marks. At Gold & Silver Company in Dottignies, every double eagle is weighed and appraised in front of the person; the assay in the agency is what counts.
The 10 dollars (Eagle) weighs 16.718 g, 15.046 g fine, Ø 27 mm.
Characteristics
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Metal | gold |
| Gross weight | 33.436 g |
| Fineness | 900 ‰ |
| Fine metal | 30.093 g |
| Diameter | 34 mm |
| Years of issue | 1849-1933 |
How to check it
Indicative check: weigh the coin to the centigram and measure its diameter with callipers; a deviation of more than 0.1 g or 0.2 mm from the reference values warrants an examination in the agency. The assay in the agency is what counts.
At Gold & Silver Company
Every coin is weighed and appraised in front of the person, at the agency in Dottignies (Mouscron); the price is set at the rate of the moment of the transaction and is never published in advance.
Welcome policy: for gold, Gold & Silver Company receives by appointment from one kilogram; below that, no appointment is needed during opening hours; for silver, no appointment is needed whatever the quantity.
Related terms
Further reading
Sources
Characteristics checked against the reference numismatic catalogues and the issuers' official specifications (September 2026). The appraisal in the agency is what counts.