Introduction The Double Eagle is Born Type I 1850-1866 Type II 1866-1876 Type III 1877-1907 Saint-Gaudens 1907-1933 Double Eagles as Collectibles The $20 S Mints Recommendations

The Type II Double Eagles, 1866-1876 After the Civil War, there was a strong sentiment to add religious mottos to America’s coinage. In 1866, the legend "In God We Trust" was added to the double eagle, thus creating the second type. Type Two double eagles are highly desirable for a variety of reasons. First, it is a short-lived type; only eleven years passed before the design was modified again. Secondly, there are only a couple "untouchable" rarities in the series, so it is possible to assemble a nearly complete date set. That said, there are no truly common Type Two issues. Even the most plentiful dates, such as the 1875, become scarce in Mint State; this is particularly true for the Carson City dates. Four years after the Type Two double eagle debuted, the Carson City Mint was created. It produced very few coins in its first several years, especially in the case of the gold denominations. The 1870-CC double eagle, for instance, is one of the rarest gold coins with approximately twenty to thirty pieces known. The 1871-CC, 1872-CC, and 1873-CC twenties are also very scarce dates, but still within the average collector’s reach in circulated grades. The San Francisco Mint continued to strike double eagles in large quantities, even with the establishment of another mint in the western United States. All of the Type Two issues have mintages ranging from 780,000 to well over a million pieces. The most common dates in this group are the 1875-S and 1876-S; they are typically treated as generic dates. The earlier dates, such as the 68-S and 70-S, trade for a nominal premium in EF and AU but are much costlier in Uncirculated. The 1866-S, for example, is virtually non-existent above MS 60. Like the San Francisco dates, the Philadelphia issues are not excessively scarce but far from common. The rarest dates are the 1868 and the 1871, both with mintages of under 100,000. Even so, circulated and low Mint State specimens appear on the market on a regular basis. Other dates, such as the 1873 Open 3, 1875, and 1876 are considered generic and are rather inexpensive below MS 63. There is very little difference in quality from one date to another; all are fairly well struck and almost never display mint-made flaws. One important consideration when purchasing Type Two double eagles is the number of bagmarks. During the era when Type Two double eagles were struck, gold coins were hastily transported in large canvas bags, where they often acquired deep gouges and a blanketing of nicks. As a result, there can be a noticeable difference in one coin’s eye appeal versus another's. In fact, severely abraded Type Two twenties are sometimes classified as AU-even though they show no wear. Type Two double eagles are relatively easy to collect. Below are several potential set concepts: ~ San Francisco Date Run: Since there are no real rarities among the S-Mint Type Two double eagles, a date set is an excellent choice. ~ Philadelphia Date Run: A Philadelphia date run is even simpler to assemble, and can be easily completed from 1866 through 1876. ~ Year Sets: A year set consists of all the coins minted in a given year. For the years 1874, 1875, and 1876, year sets can be easily put together without much trouble, mostly because the Carson City counterparts are inexpensive. An interesting but costlier group is the 1873 set; it would contain the 1873 Open 3, 1873 Closed 3, 1873-S Open 3, 1873-S Closed 3, and 1873-CC. ~ Complete Set: Omitting the 1870-CC, all of the Type Two double eagles are affordable, albeit in lower grades for some issues. A set without the 1870-CC would not ruin the integrity of the collection-many types have one or two major rarities that are frequently often omitted from complete sets. While all of the Philadelphia Type Two double eagles exist in proof format, all are prohibitively rare. Before the Bass, Pittman and Trompeter collections entered the market, numismatiss would have to wait years to acquire a single Type Two proof. These coins are slowly being absorbed into the market again, and it may be many years before they surface. In conclusion, the Type Two double eagles are avidly sought items. They are highly desirable since they were produced for a short amount of time and minted in relatively low quantities. Considering their active collector demand and true rarity, they are among the most undervalued double eagles. Next:  The Type III Double Eagles, 1877-1907