$20 Liberty Types 1, 2, 3

If you feel you have a firm investment foundation in gold bullion coins, you may have been looking at $20 Liberty Head Gold Double Eagles for a possible investment. If so, you should become familiar with the three types of $20 Libertys.

Type 1 $20 Libertys were minted from 1849 to 1866 and are referred to as "no motto" Liberties since they do not contain the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST". They tend to fetch a higher price than the Type 2s and Type 3s except in the higher grades.

Type 2 Libertys were minted from 1866 to 1876, contain the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" and, like the Type 1, the bottom of the reverse side of the coin has "TWENTY D." stamped into it. Type 2 Libertys are worth a little less than Type 1s until Mint State 63 (MS63) at which point they become much more valuable than either Type 1s or Type 3s. In fact, at present prices the MS65 Type 2 Liberty is worth approximately 14 times more than the Type 1 and (approximately) 30 times more than the Type 3.

Type 3 Libertys were minted from 1877 to 1907, contain the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the bottom of the reverse side has "TWENTY DOLLARS" stamped into it. Type 3 Libertys are consistently lower in price than the Type 1 and Type 2 Libertys.

Happy Investing.

Gold Investing - The Case for Semi-Numismatic Coins

If you are a casual gold investor, you have probably concentrated on gold bullion coins. As a result, your potential profit is limited to the price increase in gold with no other factors involved.

Once you have a nice amount of gold bullion in your possession, you may want to look at semi-numismatic gold coins. Why? Because it gives you the opportunity to profit from the rising price of gold as well as the demand for the types of coins you happen to invest in. The two coins you might want to consider are the $20 Liberty (1850-1907) and the $20 St. Gaudens (1907-1933).

There is so much history wrapped up in these two coins, you will be pleased with owning them even if you only have one of each. They have stood the test of time and are recognized world-wide as having value and good investor demand.

But you don't have to spend a fortune on them IF you stays with the lower grades of uncirculated coins (MS60-MS62) or the circulated grades of XF or AU. Just make sure you are dealing with a reputable local or national dealer. And you may want to investigate certified coins by either NGC or PCGS.

Happy Investing.