Object Details
mint
U.S. Mint, Philadelphia
designer
Longacre, James Barton
Paquet, Anthony C.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 20 dollar coin, pattern
United States, 1860
Obverse Image: Liberty wearing a coronet and facing left. 13 stars around.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1860
Reverse Image: Heraldic eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest. Scrolls on either side of eagle, ring of 13 stars above eagle's head, rays above stars.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TWENTY D. / E PLURIBUS UNUM
Description
Designs as used on earlier double eagles, but with tall letters for legends on reverse. This unique pattern combined the normal obverse by James B. Longacre with an experimental reverse by Anthony C. Paquet. Paquet's innovation was to recast the letters in the reverse legend. Those letters had been block capitals on all earlier double eagles. Paquet introduced a new, more vertical format for the letters.
A few thousand coins with the Paquet reverse were minted in San Francisco at the beginning of 1861 (and a handful more at Philadelphia that same year). However, Paquet's innovation did not find favor at that time. [reference no. Judd 272a]
Credit Line
United States Mint
date made
1860
ID Number
1985.0441.1927
catalog number
1985.0441.1927
accession number
1985.0441
Object Name
coin
Physical Description
gold (overall metal)
0 (overall die axis)
0 (overall die axis measurement)
struck (overall production method)
Measurements
overall: .2 cm x 3.43 cm; 3/32 in x 1 11/32 in
place made
United States
United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Related Publication
Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms
Related Web Publication
http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
Coins, Currency and Medals
Exhibition
Value of Money
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_1099295