The gold Liberty Double Eagles and Walking Liberty half dollar coins are two of the most beautiful coins ever minted in the United States, and each deserves a prominent place in a coin collection or in an investor's vault. These coins have an artistic value, an intrinsic value, a numismatic value and an investor value.

The Double Eagle gold coin presents investors with an opportunity to invest major sums in a coin that has held its value for more than 150 years. The Walking Liberty half dollar allows more modest investors to invest smaller sums in a silver coin that has also held its value since 1916.

The Double Eagle is a gold coin first produced in 1849 with a denominated value of $20. It was a blend of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper. Congress, in 1849, officially designated the creation of the Double Eagle to coincide with the California gold rush. Prior to that date, the U.S. minted the eagle coin which had a denomination of $10. It logically followed that the new $20 gold coin would be called the Double Eagle. The Double Eagle was minted from 1850 until 1933.

The Double Eagle was minted in two different designs. The first design was named the Liberty Head Double Eagle, and the U.S. minted this coin from 1849 to 1907. It was also called the Liberty Coronet.

In the early 20th century, President Teddy Roosevelt asked famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign the Double Eagle. The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is, by far, the gold coin most desired by collectors. The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is regarded as the most spectacular and beautiful coin ever created. The U.S. minted this coin from 1907 to 1933. The price for the high-relief 1907 Double Eagle can range from $10,000 for a circulated coin to more than $500,000 for a coin in uncirculated condition.

The obverse of the Saint-Gaudens shows a female liberty figure holding a torch as she walks toward a rising sun. The reverse illustrates a flying eagle with the rising sun's rays showing behind. President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the mint to stop producing the Double Eagle in 1933 and outlawed the possession of gold coins.

The Walking Liberty half dollar is probably the most popular silver coin desired by collectors. It can be bought for a small sum of money, and the design is considered the most beautiful for a fifty-cent coin. The U.S. minted this coin from 1916 to 1947.

Adolph A. Weinman won an artist's competition to design the coin. Weinman studied under the master sculptor Saint-Gaudens. The Walking Liberty features Lady Liberty walking toward a rising sun. The reverse side shows an eagle perched atop a mountain with its wings spread. This coin is widely loved for its depiction of the powerful eagle and tour de force of the bird's splendid feathers. The coin is composed of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. This coin is bought for both the value of the silver and its numismatic value.