Liberty Head Eagles

Coin	Weight (g)	Composition	Gold Melt Value	Full Melt Value
Liberty, With Motto (1866-1907 )	16.7	Gold 90%, Copper 10%
Liberty, No Motto (1838-1866 )	16.7	Gold 90%, Copper 7%, Silver 3%

The United States’ Gold Eagles had not been minted since 1804 when they reemerged as the Liberty Head Eagles in 1838 and continued through 1907.  This was due to the fact that the vast majority of them were being exported to Europe and melted down.  The United States gold coins’ gold content was higher than the European Gold prices.  The US gold coins were based on a lower ratio of silver to gold than the European convention.

The difference of rates occurred due to various reasons however; the French Revolution and the subsequent military campaigns carried out by Napoleon can be linked to the initial discrepancies.  The United States Congress’ Coin Act of 1834 made a critical change for the US Mint’s gold coins.  The old exchange rate for silver to gold was changed from 15:1 to 16:1.

The success of the half eagle making it to circulation and staying in circulation.  This; combined with the steady influx of gold from the United States’ first gold rush in the south-eastern portion of the Appalachian mountain range.  Both of these helped give confidence to the Mint’s officials to restart production of the ten dollar “Eagle” gold coin.

When production of the gold eagles started again in 1838 Christian Gobrecht designed the Liberty Head Eagles.  The United States Congress' Act had also adjusted the gold content of all its gold coins. The Liberty Eagles are 26.8 millimeters in diameter, weigh 16.7 grams and the gold content is 90% with the copper silver blend making up the remaining 10%, and have a reeded edge.

The obverse has a Liberty head facing left and she is wearing her hair up and has on a coronet with “LIBERTY” written on it.  Thirteen stars encircle the coin with the date on the bottom.  The reverse was adapted from John Reich's design for a heraldic bald eagle.  This design depicts the bald eagle perching and has the olive branch its right talon and three arrows in its right.  The eagle has its wing opened and a smaller national shield on its breast.  “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” encircles the coin, except at the base where there is now a denomination indicated; “.TEN D..”.

The United States Mint started opening branches and these have their mint marks under the eagle and above the denomination.  In 1841 the New Orleans, LA branch started striking eagles and these have an “O” mint mark.  San Francisco opened 1854 and started striking the eagles then and used a “S” for its mint mark.  There was also the short lived Carson City, Nevada mint which opened in 1870  and closed in 1893, all of  their coins will have "CC" as its mint mark. Philadelphia, being the first Mint did not use a mint mark.

 

In 1866 the United States had added a banner with the motto; “IN GOD WE TRUST” to the reverse of the Liberty eagles above the eagle between its wings.  The United States Congress adopted and authorized the use of the motto as the country was becoming divided and eventually fell into civil war.  This motto comes from the United States national anthem: The Star Spangled Banner.  One of the poems stanza reads... “Let our motto be, ‘In God We Trust'”.

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