Olevian Numismatic Rarities
American Liberty 5-Coin U.S. Gold Type Set (1849-1908) // Wood Presentation Box
Product Description
Offered here is an exceptional 5-coin set of $1, $2.50, $5, $10, and $20 Liberty Head Gold Pieces that have been hand-selected by professional numismatists after screening thousands of coins for quality and eye-appeal. Each coin is housed in an airtight capsule and the set is presented in a luxurious, plush-lined wood box with embossed metallic gold lettering, piano-black finish, and certificate of authenticity. The coins are unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine, dated between 1849 and 1908, and will match the quality of the ones shown.
The U.S. government issued gold coins for circulation from 1795 to 1933 in denominations of $1 through $20, but it was the discovery of gold in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill in California persuaded Congress to expand its use in coin production. That year, the U.S. Mint sought to redesign the circulating $2.50, $5, and $10 gold pieces. Although the $2.50 and $5 had been produced with some regularity in the 1830s featuring the Classic Head design, a $10 gold coin had not been minted since the Draped Bust type of 1804.
Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht created a new, uniform design for these three denominations—a distinctly neoclassical motif inspired by the portrait of Venus in the famous 1809 painting Omnia Vincit Amor (Love Conquers All) by Benjamin West. The resulting Liberty Head or “Coronet Head” gold coins featured a depiction of Lady Liberty on the obverse with her hair secured in a bun by a string of beads and wearing a coronet inscribed with LIBERTY. Thirteen stars encircle the rim and the date appears below. The tasteful simplicity of this Greco-Roman profile was reminiscent of many artistic renderings found in prominent European museums at the time. The reverse of the coins depicts a heraldic eagle with a shield on its chest. In the talons of the great bird are olive branches and arrows—symbolic of a peaceful nation but one that is poised for war.
The $10 coins debuted in 1838, followed by the $5 coins in 1839 and the $2.50 coins in 1840. In March of 1849, legislation authorized two new gold coins in the Liberty Head design, the $1 and $20 gold pieces, which became the smallest and largest regular production gold coins ever made in terms of both value and size. Containing nearly one full ounce of gold, the $20 gold piece, also known as the “double eagle,” had enormous purchasing power and amounted to over a month of ordinary wages in 1850. Although the Liberty Head gold coins underwent a few minor design modifications over the subsequent decades, this basic design prevailed for over 70 years.
Product Details
- Measurements
8"L x 6"W x 2"H
- OriginUnited States
Series: $20 Liberty Head Gold Double Eagle (1849-1907)
— Type: Type 3, With Motto, “TWENTY DOLLARS” (1877-1907)
— Designer: James Barton Longacre
— Weight: 33.4 grams
— Diameter: 34.00 mm
— Composition: 0.900 gold and 0.100 copper
— Net Gold Weight: 0.9675 oz pure gold
— Obverse Design: Liberty with coronet, facing left / 13 stars
— Obverse Inscription: LIBERTY / DATE
— Reverse Design: Heraldic eagle with double ribbon, shield, olive branch, and arrows / Halo of 13 stars / Arc of rays
— Reverse Inscription: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / IN GOD WE TRUST / E PLURIBUS UNUM / TWENTY DOLLARS
Series: $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagle (1838-1907)
— Type: Type 3, With Motto (1866-1907)
— Designer: Christian Gobrecht
— Weight: 16.718 grams
— Diameter: 27 mm
— Composition: 0.900 gold and 0.100 copper
— Net Gold Weight: 0.48375 oz pure gold
— Obverse Design: Liberty with coronet, facing left / 13 stars
— Obverse Inscription: LIBERTY / DATE
— Reverse Design: Heraldic eagle with shield, clutching arrows and olive branch in talons
— Reverse Inscription: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / IN GOD WE TRUST / TEN D.
Series: $5 Liberty Head Gold Half Eagle (1839-1908)
— Type: Type 2, With Motto (1866-1908)
— Designer: Christian Gobrecht
— Weight: 8.36 grams
— Diameter: 21.65 mm
— Composition: 0.900 gold and 0.100 copper
— Net Gold Weight: 0.2419 oz pure gold
— Obverse Design: Liberty with coronet, facing left / 13 stars
— Obverse Inscription: DATE
— Reverse Design: Heraldic eagle with shield, clutching arrows and olive branch in talons
— Reverse Inscription: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / IN GOD WE TRUST / FIVE D.
Series: $2.50 Liberty Head Gold Quarter Eagle (1840-1907)
— Designer: Christian Gobrecht
— Weight: 4.18 grams
— Diameter: 18 mm
— Composition: 0.900 gold and 0.100 copper
— Net Gold Weight: 0.12094 oz pure gold
— Obverse Design: Liberty with coronet, facing left / 13 stars
— Obverse Inscription: LIBERTY / DATE
— Reverse Design: Heraldic eagle with shield, clutching arrows and olive branch in talons
— Reverse Inscription: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / 2 1/2 D.
Series: $1 Gold Piece (1849-1889)
— Type: Type 1, Liberty Head (1849-1954)
— Designer: James Barton Longacre
— Weight: 1.7 grams
— Diameter: 12.7 mm
— Composition: 0.900 gold and 0.100 copper
— Net Gold Weight: 0.04919 oz pure gold
— Obverse Design: Liberty / 13 stars
— Obverse Inscription: N/A
— Reverse Design: Wreath encircling denomination
— Reverse Inscription: UNITED STATE OF AMERICA / 1 DOLLAR / DATE
Shipping Information
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Shipping AvailabilityCanada, United States
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Shipping PolicyStandard Ground Shipping
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Ship In3-4 weeks ⓘ
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Return PolicyFinal sale, not eligible for return or cancellation
Size Chart
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