1896-S $20 (1896-S Double Eagle) PCGS MS64 CAC. Beautiful Type 3 Double Eagle. This mint state, Western branch mint Type 3 1896-S Double Eagle is tied for third finest at PCGS. The coin exhibits a strong strike with full details seen on the centers of the stars, Libertys hair, and the design details of the reverse. There are a few abrasion marks on the coin, consistent with the grade. The MS64 is confirmed by CAC, which indicates that this is a premium piece that fully merits the grade it was assigned. Bright mint luster flashes from both sides of the coin.

James Barton Longacre designed the pattern for the twenty dollar coin in 1849. It 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 it would be useful for large commercial transactions and that it would facilitate foreign trade.

Longacres design 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.

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the original 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. 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 to the reverse of the previous double eagle, it did not cause any major change in the rest of the coins design.

Because of its large mintage, it is easy to find an 1896-S double eagle in grades VF to MS63. Many pieces were saved, but most are heavily abraded. In its population report, PCGS show this coin tied for third best with 2 better. At CAC as of January 2012, there are 4 in MS64 with 0 better.