1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle Value
A 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle is worth roughly $3,306 to $32,411 depending on its condition; the melt floor under every example is $3,241 (spot prices 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.
1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $3,241.13 |
| Good (G-4) | $3,306 to $4,376 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $3,306 to $4,538 |
| Fine (F-12) | $3,306 to $4,781 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $3,526 to $5,186 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $3,995 to $5,875 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $4,821 to $7,090 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $6,061 to $8,913 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $8,265 to $12,154 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $22,040 to $32,411 |
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 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle worth today?
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $3,306. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $32,411 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Double Eagle
- Year
- 1878
- 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 1878 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.
Why the 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle is worth money
Documented examples of the 1878 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 1878 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.
Context adds the final layer to the 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle. Born of the California Gold Rush, the double eagle packed nearly an ounce of gold into a single coin and quickly carried most of America's monetary gold. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1878
bust l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TWENTY D.
eagle facing, head l., motto within stars, rays above
Measured 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle specimens
2 physically measured 1878 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle #1 | 33.632 g | 34 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.177, Breen.7268 |
| 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle #2 | 33.408 g | 34 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.177, Breen.7268 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle is valued between $3,306 and $32,411 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.