1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle Value
A 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle is worth roughly $6,061 to $283,598 depending on its condition, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $3,241 as of 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $3,241.13 |
| Good (G-4) | $6,061 to $8,913 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $7,714 to $11,344 |
| Fine (F-12) | $9,918 to $14,585 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $13,775 to $20,257 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $20,662 to $30,386 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $30,305 to $44,565 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $46,834 to $68,874 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $82,649 to $121,542 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $192,847 to $283,598 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
How much is a 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle worth today?
A 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle that spent decades in circulation is worth about $6,061 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $283,598. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Double Eagle
- Year
- 1859
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 33.436 g
- Diameter
- 34 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Designer
- James Barton Longacre
- Gold content
- 0.96750 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
The 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (On the reverse, below the eagle), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Where this coin's value comes from
Documented examples of the 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
Each 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle holds 0.9675 troy ounces of gold, worth $3,241 at current spot prices. Gold content dominates the value of common dates and underwrites every numismatic premium above it.
There is history in a 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle as well. Most survivors spent decades in European bank vaults, repatriated in quantity since the mid-twentieth century, which is why common dates trade near their bullion value despite ages past 120 years. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1859
bust l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TWENTY D.
eagle facing, head l., rays and stars above
Measured 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle specimens
3 physically measured 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 33.436 g, 34 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle #1 | 34 g | 33 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.169, Breen.7194 |
| 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle #2 | - | - | - | Judd.257, Pollock.305 |
| 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle #3 | - | - | - | Judd.257, Pollock.305, Adams.Woodin.276 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1859 Liberty Head Double Eagle is valued between $6,061 and $283,598 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.