1878 Liberty Head Double Eagle ($20 Gold Coin)”

DanDaniels

Hi everyone,

I’m new to the world of gold coins and collecting, and I could really use some help. I recently came across a gold coin and I’m trying to figure out what exactly I have and what it might be worth.

I don’t know much about coins yet, so any advice or guidance would be appreciated. If it helps, I can upload a picture of the coin and share any details I can find on it (like inscriptions, weight, size, etc.).

pcgsregistrycollector

EX Jewelry. Worth melt at best.

Morgan White

Assuming it's real, it's a damaged jewelry piece worth melt value. If the bezel and chain are gold, then melt value for those as well.

DanDaniels

@Morgan White said:
Assuming it's real, it's a damaged jewelry piece worth melt value. If the bezel and chain are gold, then melt value for those as well.

Appreciate the info. Do you happen to have a rough idea of what the melt value would be for the coin? And if possible, what it might go for as a collectible, even in its current condition? Also wondering about the bezel and chain (they’re gold as well)

AUandAG

As of this moment the gold value is $3,203. Click on Coinflation at the top right of this page and go to gold values to see.

bob

asheland

Welcome to the forums. Like the other said if it’s genuine which it looks OK, it’s just worth the metal price.

Typekat

The coin has about 96/100 of a troy ounce of pure gold.

Are the bezel and chain marked, say 14k or 18k?
If so, by using a scale you can calculate the actual total melt value.
Getting an offer near to that value is another problem. But solvable.

The_Dinosaur_Man

You have an inexpensive starter for a type set, or as others have said, something worth just its gold weight.

Morgan White

@DanDaniels said:

@Morgan White said:
Assuming it's real, it's a damaged jewelry piece worth melt value. If the bezel and chain are gold, then melt value for those as well.

Appreciate the info. Do you happen to have a rough idea of what the melt value would be for the coin? And if possible, what it might go for as a collectible, even in its current condition? Also wondering about the bezel and chain (they’re gold as well)

About $3200 melt. You can check at Coinflation website.

It will never be a collectible coin. It's damaged and is only worth melt, although dealers will pay something like 5% back of melt. You'll be doing good to get $3k for it.

Crypto

@Morgan White said:

@DanDaniels said:

@Morgan White said:
Assuming it's real, it's a damaged jewelry piece worth melt value. If the bezel and chain are gold, then melt value for those as well.

Appreciate the info. Do you happen to have a rough idea of what the melt value would be for the coin? And if possible, what it might go for as a collectible, even in its current condition? Also wondering about the bezel and chain (they’re gold as well)

About $3200 melt. You can check at Coinflation website.

It will never be a collectible coin. It's damaged and is only worth melt, although dealers will pay something like 5% back of melt. You'll be doing good to get $3k for it.

3k plus the weight of the bezel and neckless. You should be up over around 4k assuming they are both 14k

MFeld

@Morgan White said:

@DanDaniels said:

@Morgan White said:
Assuming it's real, it's a damaged jewelry piece worth melt value. If the bezel and chain are gold, then melt value for those as well.

Appreciate the info. Do you happen to have a rough idea of what the melt value would be for the coin? And if possible, what it might go for as a collectible, even in its current condition? Also wondering about the bezel and chain (they’re gold as well)

About $3200 melt. You can check at Coinflation website.

It will never be a collectible coin. It's damaged and is only worth melt, although dealers will pay something like 5% back of melt. You'll be doing good to get $3k for it.

Many dealers will pay closer to melt value than 5% back - at least 97%. Getting $3000 for the coin would not be “doing good”.

PeakRarities

As @Morgan White stated, you'd be lucky to get a melt offer on that piece, right now there is a large selection of double eagles that can be purchased at melt, and numerous bezeled coins that are less worn down. That one looks particularly cumbersome and would likely get sent to the refinery, which pay 97-98%, so dealer offer would likely top out around 95%. It does look like the bezel might have quite a bit of weight, if it's solid. If you got an offer of 98% or 99% from a collector, I would take the money and run.

Morgan White

@MFeld said:

@Morgan White said:

@DanDaniels said:

@Morgan White said:
Assuming it's real, it's a damaged jewelry piece worth melt value. If the bezel and chain are gold, then melt value for those as well.

Appreciate the info. Do you happen to have a rough idea of what the melt value would be for the coin? And if possible, what it might go for as a collectible, even in its current condition? Also wondering about the bezel and chain (they’re gold as well)

About $3200 melt. You can check at Coinflation website.

It will never be a collectible coin. It's damaged and is only worth melt, although dealers will pay something like 5% back of melt. You'll be doing good to get $3k for it.

Many dealers will pay closer to melt value than 5% back - at least 97%. Getting $3000 for the coin would not be “doing good”.

Smudge

You could just hang onto it as bullion.

MsMorrisine

as stated, i'll reinforce

there is no collector value in it. this is why everyone is talking about melt.

MsMorrisine

i'll add that an unscrupulous buy might bs about the weight and karats of the total item.

the chain and bezel will probably be an even number of karats - example 14k or 18k

the coin is 90% gold and 10% copper. that's 21.6k - do not acid test the coin. if they doubt it's genuiness find someone with an x-ray gun

====

most of the hassles can be avoided by finding a scrupulous buyer

Cougar1978

Op coin - Only worth melt imo.