1874-S Double Eagle - 1874-S $20 NGC AU58. This eye-appealing, near-Uncirculated, Western branch mint, Type 2 1874-S Double Eagle has extremely clean surfaces for the grade and bright original mint luster within its devices. Although the reverse is cleaner than the obverse, neither side has any abrasion marks or other distractions worthy of note. The light and dark yellow gold colors affirm the coins originality. The strike is strong with full details on Libertys hair, the centers of the stars, and the design elements of the reverse, especially the eagle.
 
The San Francisco Mint opened in 1854 because of the need to coin gold resulting from the California Gold Rush. In the West there was an abundance of gold bullion, nuggets and dust; however, there was also an acute shortage of circulating coinage. Congress authorized this mint to relieve the shortage and coin silver and gold and because transportation of bullion to Philadelphia was time consuming and hazardous. Because of its proximity to the Gold Rush area, San Francisco was chosen as the site of the new mint.  In 1874, the date of the present coin, it moved into a new building called the Old United States Mint or the Granite Lady. It is one of the few structures that survived the earthquake of 1906. It remained in service as a mint until 1938, when the present facility opened.

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the original double eagle by enlarging the oval of stars above the eagles head and placing the motto in it. This modification did not require a major alteration of the design as was the case with adding the motto to the lower denominations. It was made at the behest of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of Treasury and Congress because of pressure brought about by the Reverend M.R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania.

Originally all of the United States coinage was secular. However, in the first sixty or so years of the United States existence, religious life became more important to the populace. By 1860, twenty-three percent of the population belonged to a church or had some kind of religious affiliation. Groups such as the National Reform Association wanted to amend the Constitution to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the source of all power and authority in government. The amendment was unsuccessful; however, the sentiment to bring religion into government remained strong. Although placed on the two cent coin in 1864, the Coinage Act of 1865 created the authority to add the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to all coins. In 1866 it was placed on the half eagle, the eagle and the double eagle as well as on silver coinage and the shield nickel.