Lot 2580
1907 $20 St. Gaudens. High relief, Roman numerals, wire rim. PCGS graded MS-63. A nice yellow gold piece with notable luster and reddish toning, the devices on this handsome coin were struck with methodical precision throughout.
Approximately 7,250 were struck with partial wire rim and about 4,000 with flat (without wire) rim. This was publicized in 1908, soon after striking, and for a long time thereafter many listings included these as separate varieties. The matter was not one of a different die, but simply a spacing in the collar which allowed metal to squeeze upward from the rim; such wire rims, sometimes called "knife rims" or, in Mint parlance, "fins," are common elsewhere, such as in 19th century Proof coinage.
The medallic MCMVII issue with high relief required several cycles of the medal press at an extremely high pressure of 172 tons for each example. The requirement of multiple cycles was an unreasonable expectation for production, so dies were prepared with much shallower depth. These coins with the "1907" date and low relief were created with just a single cycles of the regular coining press (PCGS # 9135) .
Estimated Value $21,000 - 23,000.
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