1853 Liberty Head Double Eagle
Base
About This Coin
The 1853 Liberty Head Double Eagle is a United States Gold Double Eagle from the Liberty Head Double Eagles 1849-1907 series — an early issue, 5th of 59 years in the series. In 1853, coins were struck at the Philadelphia and New Orleans Mints with a combined mintage of 2.6 million. This ranks 49th of 58 years by total mintage, above the series median of 1.4 million. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM surrounded by a glory of rays. The new San Francisco Mint began double eagle production alongside Philadelphia and New Orleans. Struck in gold, weighing 33.4 grams, 34 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $5.9K to $52K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $353K in MS61 grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by James Barton Longacre.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
