1881 Liberty Head Double Eagle
Base
About This Coin
The 1881 Liberty Head Double Eagle is a United States Gold Double Eagle from the Liberty Head Double Eagles 1849-1907 series — 33rd of 59 years in the series. In 1881, coins were struck at the San Francisco and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 729,260. This ranks 5th of 58 years by total mintage, below 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. Philadelphia, Carson City, and San Francisco struck double eagles. Struck in 90% gold, 10% copper, weighing 33.4 grams, 34 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 5 years before the celebrated 1886 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $4.9K to $157K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $153K in MS61 grade at Heritage Auctions. 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.
Specifications
Strike Types & Varieties(3)
1881 (S) Liberty Head Double Eagle
1881 Liberty Head Double Eagle
1881 Proof Liberty Head Double Eagle
Other Base Coins in This Series
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