Few coins in the history of American currency have as much collectible value and variations worth collecting as the gold Liberty piece. These coins are extremely rare and high-priced due not only to their age but also the amount of pure gold within them and differences in denomination. Today coin collectors strive to add these gold pieces in every denomination to their collections and spend vast amounts of money and resources to do so.
The Liberty coin refers to a couple different types of American coin of varying value, appearance and rarity. The standard and fairly underwhelming and easily-found version is the Liberty Head nickel. For centuries this coin was minted for circulation and featured the recognizable face of Lady Liberty imprinted on it, giving rise to the term "liberty head" to describe it and any coins that would come afterward bearing her seal. But it is the gold coin version of this Liberty design that has become a status symbol of coin collectors and a centerpiece of many collections. The gold Liberty Head coin is one of the truly remarkable pieces in American coin collecting. It features that same design of Lady Liberty on coins of different denominations all plated in pure gold. These coins are extremely old, the last versions being minted around 1908 and falling out of circulation no long afterward. The coins are noted for their values reaching far beyond the standard dollar of many gold coins of the era. These Liberty Head coins were also available as 2.50, 5, 10 and 20 dollar denominations as well. Each piece was larger than the value below it and as such contained a fraction more pure gold. The 20-dollar piece featured nearly a full ounce of the precious metal in a coin of extraordinarily rare size and weight. In fact all of these gold pieces were very large and heavy, a trait that has made them so popular among collectors.
When collecting these Liberty Head coins the only proper way to display them is in a protected form. Not only are they susceptible to the elements as all gold is but their size and rarity make them impractical for anything other than collectible displays. And with a 20-dollar piece costing thousands of dollars to acquire the best bet is to show it off in a safe and secure manner. Collectors will also want to deal only with licensed certified coin dealers who are offering certificates of authenticity on the coins. This will ensure they are legitimate and not high-priced reproductions. Once acquired these Liberty Head gold coins will become a mainstay of any coin collection and a centerpiece to show off that few other collectors are able to have.
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