Coin values · 90% gold · 1907–1933
St. Gaudens $20 gold coin value: melt value today
The $20 Saint-Gaudens double eagle (1907–1933) holds 0.9675 troy oz of pure gold in a 90% gold coin, the same as the Liberty $20. Common dates trade a little above melt, and many consider it the most beautiful US coin ever struck. At the Nov 3, 2026 close ($3,929.23/oz gold), one coin’s 0.9675 oz of gold was worth $3,802.
$20 St. Gaudens double eagle specifications
| Years struck | 1907–1933 |
|---|---|
| Designer | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
| Mints | Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D), San Francisco (S) |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 33.436 g |
| Diameter | 34 mm, lettered edge (E PLURIBUS UNUM with stars) |
| Gold content (AGW) | 0.9675 troy oz |
| Face value | $20 |
| Melt value | $3,802 at the Nov 3, 2026 close ($3,929.23/oz gold); live value above |
Weights, fineness and mintages come from the primary records listed under Sources; melt is computed from the gold or silver content.
$20 St. Gaudens double eagle melt calculator
Melt = pure metal content × recent spot (gold $3,929.23/oz). This is the bullion floor; collectible coins can be worth far more. Federal rules restrict melting only 1¢ and 5¢ coins (31 CFR Part 82; 1942–1945 silver war nickels are exempt). This estimates intrinsic value.
What a $20 St. Gaudens double eagle’s gold has been worth since 1968
A $20 St. Gaudens double eagle held about $37.83 of gold in 1968, peaked near $5,053 in 2026, and its metal is worth $3,802 today. That is melt only; a scarce date or high grade can carry a collector premium on top.
$20 St. Gaudens double eagle melt value by decade
Melt of one coin at each decade’s December close. The peak month was Feb 2026 at $5,053; the low was Jan 1970 at $33.85. Melt has been above the $20.00 face value in every month since 1968, and is now about 190 times face.
| Close | Gold price | Melt per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1970 | $37.38 | $36.17 |
| Dec 1980 | $589.75 | $571 |
| Dec 1990 | $386.20 | $374 |
| Dec 2000 | $274.45 | $266 |
| Dec 2010 | $1,405.50 | $1,360 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,887.60 | $1,826 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | $3,929.23 | $3,802 |
Prices: LBMA benchmark history, then Bullion Trading LLC 5 pm ET spot closes (monthly observations).
About the $20 St. Gaudens double eagle
President Theodore Roosevelt asked the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign US gold coins in the high relief of ancient Greek coins. The first 1907 coins, dated in Roman numerals (MCMVII), needed several blows of the press each, so the relief was lowered later that year for regular production.
Coins of 1907 and early 1908 left off IN GOD WE TRUST; Congress restored the motto by the Act of May 18, 1908.
The 1933 issue was struck but never released after gold was recalled, and almost all of it was melted. One example is legal to own; read the story of the 1933 double eagle.
Key dates and mintages
- 1907 High Relief (MCMVII): about 12,000 struck (12,153 per the 1908 Mint Director’s report), prized in any grade.
- 1927-D: one of the rarest regular-issue US coins; very few survive.
- 1933: 445,500 struck and none released; one, legal to own, sold at Sotheby’s in June 2021 for $18,872,250.
When is a $20 St. Gaudens double eagle worth more than melt?
Common 1920s Philadelphia dates in AU to BU trade near melt plus a premium. Branch-mint dates from the 1920s and 1930s are scarce because most were melted in 1933–1934; we do not publish collector prices.