Lot 2617
1907 $20 St. Gaudens. High relief. NGC graded MS-64. Wire Edge. Well struck and choice. An incredibly lovely coin for the MS64 grade, in many respects deserving the terminology of "gem" status. The satiny fields and boldly struck motifs are suffused in rich bright-gold luster, and the relief seems even more pronounced as a result. The surfaces stand up well to careful inspection, none of the usual flaws or marks being observed. One of the most impressive Mint State 64 MCMVII High Relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles you are likely to encounter!
Giving his artistic look freedom from restraints, Augustus Saint-Gaudens put the date in Roman numerals, MCMVII -- a first on an American coin -- and the designs themselves in sculpture-like high relief. The Mint's staff complained bitterly, as those in Philadelphia felt that coinage designs were theirs to decide, and it was not appropriate for President Theodore Roosevelt to recruit an outsider to design the new models for the $20 coin. Yet despite all the foot-stomping and pettiness, the end result pleased just about everyone from an aesthetic standpoint.
Estimated Value $23,000 - 25,000.
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| Realized $26,450 |
