1926-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 481,000 made
- Mintage
- 481,000
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 33.436 g
- Diameter
- 34 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1926-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1926-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle rare?
- Yes. Only 481,000 were made, 22nd lowest of the 52 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1926-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.9675 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1926 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle?
- On the obverse, above the date. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1926 are scarcer?
- The 1931-D at 106,500, the 1927-D at 180,000. So the 1926-D is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1926-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coins were made?
- 481,000.
What to check on your 1926-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1926 (816,750 made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at Liberty's breast and knee and at the eagle's wing feathers. Contact marks in the open fields are common on these heavy coins.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1926-D weighs 33.436 g and measures 34 mm. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the mint mark and date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1926-D
Production at Denver fell off a cliff in 1926. Only 481,000 were made, against 2.9 million the year before. That drop is why the 1926-D is the one people look for. The next year it made 180,000 (1927-D).
1926 came to 816,750 and 1926-S came to 2 million, so neither mint's 1926 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1910 (482,000) and the 1914-D (453,000).
Denver struck the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle in 13 issues between 1908 and 1931. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1909-D (52,500). Within the 1920s it's 3rd smallest of 21, between the 1920 (228,250) and the 1921 (528,500).
Postwar mintages and overseas hoards (1917 to 1928)
Double eagle production stopped from 1917 through 1919. When it resumed in 1920, much of the output went into Treasury vaults or abroad as reserves. The 1920-S and 1921 are rare because most were melted in the 1930s. The 1927-D is one of the great rarities of American gold, with only a handful known from 180,000 struck.
The Philadelphia coins of 1924 to 1928 are among the most common double eagles because many were shipped to European banks and later returned in quantity. Branch mint coins of the same years tell a different story. The 1924-D, 1924-S, 1925-D, 1925-S, 1926-D and 1926-S are scarce despite mostly large mintages because most were melted. Bag marks and rim nicks are the usual flaws on the repatriated Philadelphia coins.
How to recognize it
Liberty strides forward holding a torch and an olive branch, with the Capitol building at her feet and rays of the sun behind her. The reverse shows an eagle in flight above a rising sun. The edge is lettered E PLURIBUS UNUM between stars. The 1907 high relief coins show the date in Roman numerals; later coins use Arabic numerals and lower relief.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (1907–1933) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 481,000 |
| Face value | $20 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 33.436 grams |
| Diameter | 34 mm |
| Edge | Lettered E PLURIBUS UNUM |
| Designer | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
Other 1926 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | 816,750 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1926-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | 481,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1926-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | 2,041,500 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Saint-Gaudens double eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.