1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle brings anywhere from $3,306 to $32,411, 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.
1889 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 1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle worth today?
Figure roughly $3,306 as the realistic floor for a damage-free, well-worn 1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle, rising steadily through the grades to about $32,411 for a certified gem. Cleaned or damaged coins trade below these figures, though never below the $3,241 melt floor.
1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle specifications
- Series
- Liberty Head Double Eagle
- Year
- 1889
- 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 1889 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.
The value drivers behind this coin
Documented examples of the 1889 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 1889 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.
The series itself does some of the lifting for the 1889 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. Broad, multigenerational demand for the design gives every date, including this one, a deep and liquid market.
1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle inscriptions & design
Obverse
************* 1889
bust l.
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TWENTY D.
eagle facing, head l., motto within stars, rays above
Measured 1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle specimens
1 physically measured 1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle example 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 Liberty Head Double Eagle #1 | - | - | - | Friedberg.USA.177, Breen.7301 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1889 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.