1878 Liberty Head $20 Coin - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,043
ricklee64 New Member United States 3 Posts	Posted 09/09/2010 8:31 pm I discovered that I have an old 1878 Liberty Head $20 coin. It's in very very worn condition. The 1878 shows well on the front as well as the outline of the Liberty head and the stars. On the obverse, You can barely see the outline of an eagle, and read "United States of America". At the bottom, "Twenty Dollars" is almost gone. The mint mark looks like it could be S. The color of the coin is very darkly tarnished and doesn't even look gold. By this description, could anyone give me a good stab at its value? I could post a picture if it's necessary. Report this Post to the Staff

jokingjoker Pillar of the Community United States 2150 Posts	Posted 09/09/2010 8:34 pm Yes please post a pic. Gold shouldn't tarnish so it could be a reproduction of some sort. Pics could give us a better idea of what we are looking at. Report this Post to the Staff
Jaobler Pillar of the Community United States 6384 Posts	Posted 09/09/2010 9:20 pm You should check the weight. A real $20 coin starts out at about 33.4 grams. A heavily-worn piece might lose 5% of it's original weight so it would be down to about 31 or 32 grams. If your coin is a base metal reproduction it would be much lighter than that. Report this Post to the Staff
ricklee64 New Member United States 3 Posts	Posted 09/09/2010 9:40 pm I wondered about it being a reproduction, then thought, "why would a reproduction be so well worn?" As for the weight, I can't weigh it, but I balanced it against an Eisenhower dollar, and it's a little lighter than the Eisenhower. Report this Post to the Staff
wheatguy Pillar of the Community United States 1534 Posts	Posted 09/09/2010 10:37 pm Definitely a fake IMO. Report this Post to the Staff
BH1964 Bedrock of the Community United States 10982 Posts	Posted 09/09/2010 10:44 pm You've got some type of copy there and much of the wear is not really wear. In all likelihood, this piece never had full details. ANA #R3154474 Report this Post to the Staff
Conder101 Bedrock of the Community United States 17884 Posts	Posted 09/10/2010 08:54 am I would suspect this was probably a contemporary counterfeit. At one time it may have been gold plated Report this Post to the Staff
ricklee64 New Member United States 3 Posts	Posted 09/10/2010 09:40 am My wife said it was passed down in her family for many years. Now I wonder if it could be an antique counterfeit or commemmorative. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,043

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