Item number: A2650

Year: AD 1904

Material: Gold (.900)

Size: 32.2 x 32.2 mm

Weight: 33.4 g

Manufactured by: Philadelphia Mint III

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a Coronet Head Double Eagle gold coin with a face value of twenty dollars, minted and issued by the United States in AD 1904.

The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Liberty, wearing a coronet inscribed with the word “LIBERTY”, and her hair is tied into a bun at the back. Below the neck appears the initials “J.B.L.”, representing the signature of the designer, James Barton Longacre, the fourth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. Surrounding the portrait are thirteen six-pointed stars, symbolising the original thirteen colonies of the United States. The date “1904” is inscribed beneath the portrait to indicate the year of mintage.

The reverse displays the Great Seal of the United States. At the centre is a bald eagle with its wings outstretched, bearing a shield on its chest. The lower part of the shield comprises thirteen vertical stripes alternating in light and dark, representing the founding states. In its talons, the eagle grasps a bundle of arrows, symbolising military strength, and an olive branch, signifying peace. Above the eagle’s head radiates a glory within which is the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST”. Around the rays are arranged thirteen stars once again. A ribbon flows beneath the wings bearing the Latin phrase “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, the national motto of the United States, meaning “Out of many, one”. Encircling the upper edge is the inscription “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, denoting the country’s name, while the bottom edge reads “TWENTY DOLLARS”, indicating the coin’s face value.

The mintmark for coins in the Eagle series is located beneath the tail feathers on the reverse. This particular specimen bears no mintmark, identifying it as a product of the Philadelphia Mint. The Philadelphia Mint was established in AD 1792 and remains operational to this day. Prior to AD 1980, the Philadelphia Mint did not use a mintmark; it only began using the letter “P” as its identifying mark after that year.

The Eagle coin series, issued by the United States Mint from AD 1795 through the 1930s, was comprised of four denominations: Quarter Eagle ($2.50), Half Eagle ($5), Eagle ($10), and Double Eagle ($20). This coin belongs to the Double Eagle category, which was minted from AD 1849 to AD 1907. Its introduction was prompted by the abundance of gold resulting from the California Gold Rush beginning in AD 1848, which led the federal government to issue higher-denomination coins to stabilise the monetary market. In the highly industrialised 19th century, the plentiful and reliable supply of gold coinage in the United States supported the development of commerce and finance. In AD 1873, Congress passed the Coinage Act, halting the minting of standard silver dollars and effectively shifting the United States onto the gold standard, which was formally codified through the Gold Standard Act in AD 1900. The onset of the Great Depression in AD 1929 led to significant gold outflows and deflation, culminating in a financial crisis. In AD 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt terminated gold convertibility and ordered the recall of gold coins, marking the United States’ complete departure from the gold standard and its transition to a fiat currency system. Gold coins were consequently withdrawn from circulation.

This coin belongs to the Type III design issued between AD 1877 and AD 1907, distinguished by the inclusion of the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the reverse and the full spelling of the denomination as “DOLLARS” rather than abbreviated as “D.” The phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST” first appeared on U.S. coinage during the American Civil War and was formally adopted as the national motto by act of Congress in AD 1956. It has since been printed on many U.S. banknotes and coins in circulation.

In God We Trust:
This phrase first appeared during the American Civil War and was adopted as the national motto of the United States by an act of Congress in AD 1956. It has since been printed on many issued banknotes and coins.

物件編號: A2650

年代: 公元 1904 年

材質: 黃金 (900‰)

尺寸: 32.2 x 32.2 mm

重量: 33.4 g

製造地: 美國費城鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

此枚為美國於公元1904年鑄造發行的自由女神像王冠頭半鷹幣，面額為20美元。 

金幣的正面為自由女神的左側肖像，頭上戴有刻有「LIBERTY 」(意即自由)字樣的王冠，髮尾盤成髮髻。頸下「J.B.L.」為設計者，美國鑄幣局第四任首席雕刻師，詹姆斯·巴頓·朗埃克(James Barton Longacre)之署名。周圍環列13顆六芒星，象徵初建合眾國的北美十三州。肖像下方「1904」，為鑄行年。 

硬幣的背面為美國國徽，中央為白頭海鵰，雙翅開展，胸前負盾。盾分上下，下端交替十三道豎紋象徵初建合眾國的北美十三州。雙爪擒抓著象徵武力的箭與象徵和平的橄欖枝。鵰首上方放射光芒，其中銘文「IN GOD WE TRUST」，意即「我們信仰上帝」。銘文周圍再次環列十三顆星。雙翼之下絲帶飄揚，上書「E PLURIBUS UNUM」，即美國國家格言「合眾為一」。上方環列「UNITED STATES OF AMERICA」，即國號「美利堅合眾國」，下方環列「TWENTY DOLLARS」，即面額「20美元」。

鷹幣系列的鑄幣廠標記位於錢背尾羽下方。此枚硬幣上沒有任何鑄幣廠標記，為費城造幣廠所鑄的錢幣。費城鑄幣廠建立於公元1792年運作至今。公元1980年以前，費城鑄幣廠都沒有任何專屬的鑄幣記號，直到公元1980年以後才開始使用字母「P」作為該鑄幣廠的記號。 

美國鷹幣是由美國造幣廠發行於公元1795年到公元1930年代的金幣，依面額的不同分為四分之一鷹幣(2½美金)、半鷹幣(5美金)、鷹幣(10美金)、和雙鷹幣(20美金)。此枚屬於雙鷹幣，雙鷹幣發行期間為公元1849年到公元1907年。由於公元1848年起，加州淘金熱帶來的大量黃金儲備，使聯邦政府推出面額更高的貨幣以穩定市場。在高速工業化的19世紀，美國充沛且穩定的金幣供應促進了商貿與金融發展。公元1873年，國會通過貨幣法，停止鑄造標準銀元，實質進入金本位，並在公元1900年以《金本位法》正式確認。公元1929年，經濟大蕭條爆發，黃金外流與通貨緊縮引發金融危機。公元1933年，羅斯福下令終止黃金兌換並回收金幣，美國全面脫離金本位體系，改行紙幣，金幣亦自此退出流通。

此枚硬幣屬於公元1877至公元1907年的設計。特徵為背圖「IN GOD WE TRUST 」銘文，和寫出全稱「DOLLARS」而非「D.」。

我們信仰上帝(IN GOD WE TRUST):
這句話最早出現於美國南北戰爭時期，並於公元1956年通過國家議會的提案，成為美國的國家格言，被印製在許多發行的紙幣和硬幣上。