Lot 1308
1907 $20 St. Gaudens. High relief, flat rim. NGC graded MS-67. Star. A flawless brilliant golden gem! No coin sale would be complete without at least a few offerings of this beautiful and prized High Relief Saint-Gaudens $20 gold piece struck in 1907. The coin is an example of the so-called Flat Rim variety, in which there is no metal forced up between the dies and the restraining collar during repeated impressions, leaving the rim outside the stars even and flat. (Often 3 -- and possibly as many as 5 -- blows by the dies were required to strike this design fully. The surviving numbers of the High Relief twenties has always been a subject of discussion, but those in better grade were obviously set aside at the time of issue and remain cherished possessions today.) A rare high quality coin for the date, this Star example displays enthralling luster whose satin surface is untoned, with sharp detail including Liberty's facial expression, the toes of her advancing foot, and all feather detail. Truly, one in a million and a coin whose aesthetic appeal surpasses them all! Pop 3; 3 finer at NGC.
Historic note: "High Reliefs were struck in 3 blows of the dies on a medal press in the Philadelphia Mint," according to Stack's, in reference to a unique plain edge 1907 High Relief $20 gold piece the firm sold in January 2006. "The first two strikings were made utilizing a plain collar, presumably to prevent the raised edge lettering from being disfigured from successive strikings. It was only during the third striking that the plain collar was replaced by the lettered collar to produce a ''complete'' High Relief Double Eagle with Lettered Edge. Due to the work-hardening of metal that results from the pressures of the striking process, the as yet ''incomplete'' coin was removed from the press after the first and second strikings to be annealed, or softened by heating."
Estimated Value $125,000 - 150,000.
|
| |
| Realized $143,750 |
