Lot 4039
1907 $20 St. Gaudens. High relief, wire rim. PCGS graded MS-64. Old green holder. Lovely rich golden toning. Great was the trouble the mint had in producing this majestic $20 gold design. The multiple impressions with which these were struck account for the astoundingly sharp detail on all elements of the high relief design. What some may not realize is that the multiple impressions also required the mint to remove each coin from the press between strikes to "anneal" or soften the partially struck coin by means of the furnace, preparatory to the next blow by the dies! It was a painstaking operation. The obverse in particular of this remarkably bold and clean specimen is distraction-free, and both sides are crisply defined between all elements of the design and the swirling luster effects in the field. The coin is gorgeous, simply gorgeous.
President Theodore Roosevelt gave Augustus Saint-Gaudens' artistic expression full rein, and the sculptor expressed the date on this piece in Roman numerals, MCMVII -- a first on any American coin design. The designs themselves are in sculpture-like high relief. The Mint's staff objected forcefully since they felt it was an intrusion on their prerogative and was not fair for President Roosevelt to enlist the aid of an outside artist to create new models. Apart from that, the engraving department at the Mint made it clear that Saint-Gaudens' idea of producing a circulating coinage in high relief reminiscent of the ancient Greek coins was impractical, for such would require multiple blows on a special press and would not be suitable for high-speed production. This turned out to be the case. Later, after Saint-Gaudens died in the summer of 1907, the chief engraver, Charles E. Barber, reworked the design into lower relief, losing much of the design's majesty in the process (PCGS # 9135) .
Estimated Value $27,000 - 28,000.
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| Realized $36,800 |
