1861 Double Eagle - 1861 $20 NGC XF45 CAC. Civil War Double Eagle. Here is a lightly circulated, quite acceptable Civil War dated 1861 double eagle. The coin is a mixture of yellow and orange gold and shows bits of original mint luster in protected areas. The colors and luster confirm the coins originality. Its surfaces are clean for the grade with no individually disturbing abrasion marks or other distractions. The coin is well struck with full details remaining in the centers of the stars and most of the design elements of the reverse. The coin was struck from slightly rotated dies, which is not noted on its NGC label. The CAC confirms the grade and indicates that the coin is a premium quality piece that fully deserves the grade given. 

Designed by James B. Longacre, the double eagle 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.

In 1844 Longacre was appointed Mint Engraver through the influence of Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. After overcoming opposition by the Chief Coiner, Franklin Peale, who was fearful that the new Engraver would interfere with his illegal medal manufacturing business using the Mint facilities, Longacre did well. He was responsible for creating many new designs including the Indian Head cent, the two-cent piece, the Shield nickel, the Liberty Head gold dollar, the Indian Princess gold dollar, the three-dollar gold piece, and the Liberty Head double eagle. 

The 1861 double eagle is the one of the two dates that most collectors think of for forming a type set of gold pieces. The other is 1857-S. However, those dated 1861 are truly Civil War-time authentic artifacts. In its population report, as of August 2013, CAC has confirmed 8 1861 double eagles at the XF45 grade level.