1896-S Double Eagle - 1896-S $20 PCGS MS64 CAC. This premium quality, Western branch mint, near-Gem 1896-S Double Eagle is tied for third finest at PCGS. This 1896-S Double Eagle coin is radiant with the full bloom of cartwheel mint luster. This 1896-S Double Eagle piece is well struck with full details on Libertys hair, the centers of the stars, and the design details of the reverse. The grade of MS64 is confirmed by CAC, indicating that the coin is a quality piece that fully deserves the grade assigned. Aside from a tiny fly speck in front of Libertys nose, the surfaces of this 1896-S Double Eagle are clean and, for the grade, free of individually distracting abrasions. The scuff marks on the right side of the reverse are on the holder not the coin.

The design change that brought about the Type 3 double eagle was the denomination. It went from TWENTY D. to TWENTY DOLLARS. Like the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to the reverse of the previous double eagle, it did not cause any major change in the rest of the coins design. William Barber who by then was the Engraver following Longacres death in 1869 made the modification.

Longacres design for 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. The mint mark is between the tail feathers and the N of TWENTY.

In its population report, PCGS shows the 1896-S Double Eagle tied for third finest known with 2 better. At CAC, as of April 2012, this 1896-S Double Eagle piece is tied for the finest known with 3 others.