Lot 1651
1907 $20 St. Gaudens. High relief, flat rim. NGC graded MS-65. Well struck and untoned. Radiant in all its majesty and exhibiting little if any color other than vivid golden hues. A very pleasing example of this historically significant coin design. Enough for the luster, we could go on and on about how gemmy it is. In the end, it is this coin's detail that grabs a person's attention: devices foursquare and bold throughout, with the bold eagle flying effortlessly through a golden sky, backstopped by a fan-formation of sun rays spreading out from the solar disk below.
During the production phase of the models for this coin, Saint-Gaudens explained in some detail to President Roosevelt why he'd chosen to replicate the flying eagle motif used on the Longacre cent of 1856-58. Saint-Gaudens' own version of this eagle differs in many ways but the concept is the same. When the time came to strike the finished designs onto gold planchets, only 11,250 pieces were ever produced. These had to be struck on the Mint's medal press, using three to five blows from the dies to render the design in full. Eventually, Chief Engraver of the Mint Charles E. Barber flattened the design for more high-speed production on the standard electrically operated coining presses. He replaced the Roman numerals with standard Western numerals, and made numerous other changes creating the motif afterwards referred to by numismatists as the 1907 "No Motto." Pop 65; 68 finer, 52 in 66, 11 in 67, 2 in 67 star, 2 in 68, 1 in 68 star (PCGS # 9136) .
Estimated Value $40,000 - 45,000.
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