1849 Liberty Head Double Eagle (1850-1907)

Intriguing History

No double eagles were regularly struck until 1850, but in 1849 -- the very year the denomination was authorized -- Mint engravers produced a unique pattern piece to test the new $20 gold coin's design. That single 1849 double eagle is believed to be one of a kind, reportedly kept by a Mint official as a personal souvenir before eventually finding its way into the Smithsonian's national coin collection.