1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. 20 Dollar Gold MS Large Head, Second Reverse, K-8 Values

Greysheet & Red Book® Price Guide

Sponsor

shop eBay

Sponsor

shop

Sponsor

shop CAC

Sponsor

shop Stacks Bowers Auctions

Sponsor

shop David Lawrence Rare Coins

1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. 20 Dollar Gold MS Large Head, Second Reverse, K-8 Values

Details

The Large Head Kagin-8 appears to be the final variety of $20 struck by Wass, Molitor & Company. It utilized a reverse die that was apparently never paired with the earlier Small Head obverse die. A single choice AU example is extant, and the discovery coin is impounded at the Smithsonian Institution. The third reported example was stolen from Willis DuPont in 1967 and was never recovered.

Obverse: Large Liberty Head with short neck and W.M. & Co. on diadem 1855, 13 stars around

Reverse: Federal Eagle, ribbon reading 900 THOUS., SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA TWENTY DOL.

Basic Information

GSID:

11886

Coin Date:

1855

Denomination:

G$20 / 20 Dollar Gold

Designation:

MS

Mint & Coinage Details

Mint Location:

San Francisco

Mintage:

3 known

Coinage Type:

Private & Pioneer Gold

Coinage Years:

1852-1855

Composition:

Gold

Varieties and Classification

Variety:

Wass, Molitor & Co.

Variety 2:

Large Head, Second Reverse, K-8

Rarity:

R-8

Physical Characteristics

Strike Type:

Business

Coin Shape:

Round

Design Details

Obverse Lettering:

W.M. & Co., 1855

Reverse Lettering:

900 THOUS., SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA TWENTY DOL.

Available on Greysheet Marketplace

View All

Dealer Directory

View All Dealers
Rarity7
FEATURED

Greysheet News

View All News
A Nation Minted: New Release When Coins Were King by Mike Moran Reveals How Gold, Silver, and Politics Defined America's Identity
A Nation Minted: New Release When Coins Were King by Mike Moran Reveals How Gold, Silver, and Politics Defined America's Identity
1/16/2026

In When Coins Were King, Moran reveals the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of how America's coinage emerged from the turbulence of the post–Civil War economy and the discovery of the great Comstock Lode.

CAC Coins Bring Premiums in December 2025
CAC Coins Bring Premiums in December 2025
1/16/2026

CAC approved and CACG encapsulated coins fared well in public sales during the month of December 2025.

Map icon

Rothchild Catering & Conference Center

Map icon

Coinacopia Building