How to Find an 1849 Coronet Double Eagle

The 1849 Coronet double eagle is the first $20 gold piece the United States Mint ever struck—a pattern coin made to evaluate the new denomination’s design before regular production began the following year. Only one example is known to survive, and it has been permanently held by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection for decades. It is not a coin that can realistically be bought.

GetCoinHunt helps you search inventory from multiple coin dealers in one place and create a wishlist alert. For a coin this singular, that alert exists mainly to flag any claimed listing for serious scrutiny.

What makes the 1849 double eagle historically significant?

The California Gold Rush, which began in 1848, flooded the country with gold and created demand for a larger, more convenient gold coin than the existing $10 eagle. Congress authorized the new $20 double eagle denomination in 1849, and the Mint struck a small number of pattern pieces that year to test the design and relief before committing to full production in 1850 — a sequence documented by the U.S. Mint’s own history of the denomination and repeated in PCGS CoinFacts’s treatment of the issue.

Mint records and later accounts indicate the design’s relief was initially too high to strike reliably with the era’s coining equipment, and nearly the entire pattern run was melted. Two examples are believed to have survived that initial evaluation; one has been preserved in the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection, as documented in the Smithsonian’s own published holdings, while the other’s whereabouts have been unknown for well over a century. As the first double eagle ever struck by the United States Mint, the surviving Smithsonian specimen is widely regarded by numismatists, including PCGS and the numismatic trade press, as one of the most historically significant American coins in existence, even though—because it isn’t for sale and has no recent auction record—any dollar estimate of its value is necessarily speculative.

How to evaluate a claimed 1849 double eagle

Understand that the known example is not for sale

The Smithsonian’s specimen is a museum piece, not market inventory. It is not realistically obtainable through any ordinary purchase, gift, or exchange.

Treat any other claimed example with extreme skepticism

With the second historical specimen’s whereabouts unknown for more than a century and no confirmed sighting in the collector market, a coin presented as “the other” 1849 double eagle, or as a newly discovered third example, would require extraordinary documentation and expert authentication before being taken seriously—most likely originating through a major auction house rather than ordinary dealer inventory.

Watch for confusion with other, more available 1849-dated gold coins

Some listings may use “1849” and “double eagle” loosely in reference to different, considerably more common gold coins from the era. Confirm exactly what’s being described before assuming any connection to this specific pattern issue.

Suggested search terms and filters

A search for “1849 Coronet double eagle” or “1849 pattern double eagle” in ordinary dealer inventory should be expected to return no genuine results for the actual pattern coin—that’s the correct outcome given its Smithsonian custody and the unresolved fate of the second known specimen.

Availability and pricing notes

There is no established market or recent sale price for this coin, since the only confirmed surviving example is a museum piece not offered for sale. Any estimate of what it might bring at auction is speculative, since it has never actually been sold.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin to confirm nothing questionable is currently listed.
2. Add it to your wishlist if you’d like to be notified of any claimed listing, purely for evaluation.
3. Treat any match with extreme scrutiny. Given that the known specimen is permanently museum-held, any claimed offering requires extraordinary verification from recognized numismatic experts before being taken seriously.

Frequently asked questions

How many 1849 Coronet double eagles exist?

Two are believed to have survived the initial pattern run. One is permanently held in the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection; the other’s whereabouts have been unknown for more than a century.

Can I buy the 1849 double eagle?

No. The known surviving specimen is a Smithsonian museum piece and is not for sale.

Why was it struck in 1849 if regular double eagle production didn’t start until 1850?

It was a pattern coin—made to test the new denomination’s design and relief before the Mint committed to full production. Most of the small pattern run was melted after the design proved difficult to strike reliably.

What is it worth?

There is no recent sale to reference, since the known example isn’t on the market. Numismatic experts have offered informal estimates in the tens of millions of dollars, but any such figure is speculative rather than based on an actual transaction.

What if someone claims to have found a third example?

Treat the claim with serious skepticism and expect it to require verification from major numismatic authorities and auction houses before being credible—this is not a coin that surfaces through casual channels.

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