1852/1852 Double Eagle - 1852/1852 $20 NGC VF30. FS-301. B-7152. This overdate 1852 Double Eagle is one of only 47 that have been certified by NGC. The coin was well struck because we still see full details in the centers of the stars. The design elements of the reverse are also strong. We see most of the wing feathers and lines of the shield as well as all of the tail feathers and the rays above the eagle. The rims and dentils are also strong on both sides. Even wear is present, in keeping with the grade. The surfaces are original and clean with no individual abrasion marks or other distractions worthy of description.

Breen describes the variety as an obvious double date that used heavy numerals. The doubling is most obvious at the top of the 8, the left and top of the 5 and within and on top of the 2.

James B. Longacre designed the double eagle. It shows a Liberty head facing left, wearing coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Her hair is tightly tied in the back with two loose curls hanging down her neck to the end of the truncation. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars with the date below. Dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with elaborate ribbons on both sides of the shield extending from the top corner down to the eagles tail feathers. The ribbons are inscribed, on the left E PLURIBUS and UNUM on the right. The ribbons were added to the design to symbolize the denomination since this was the first twenty dollar coin. There is an oval of thirteen stars above the eagles head and an arc of rays from wing tip to wing tip behind the upper half of the oval. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc above the eagle, and the denomination TWENTY D. is below.

The double eagle was produced because of the huge amount of gold that came into the Mint from California. With the discovery of gold at Sutters Mill in January 1848, the California gold rush began. It led to an influx of miners and others into the area. The vast quantity of gold produced led to a need for a standard form of exchange. The double eagle was the governments response. They also felt that the new denomination would be useful for large commercial transactions and that it would facilitate foreign trade.

In its population report, NGC shows 4 1852/1852 FS-301 varieties in VF condition. PCGS has certified 6, but none is at the VF grade level.