1904-S Double Eagle (1904-S $20) PCGS MS63 CAC. Type 3 Double Eagle. This flashy 1904-S Double Eagle shows brilliant mint luster on both sides of the coin. The coin is graded MS63, which is confirmed by CAC. The strike is strong on the obverse with every hair detail apparent.

Jame B.Longacre’s design for the double eagle 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. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with elaborate ribbons on both sides of the shield. The ribbons are inscribed, on the left E PLURIBUS and UNUM on the right. There is an oval of thirteen stars above the eagle’s 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 is below.

In 1866 the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the oval of stars. 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, it did not cause any major change in the rest of the coin’s design.