Lot 2538
1907 $20 St. Gaudens. High relief, flat rim. NGC graded MS-65. Creamy luster and rich bright-gold color with no tiny alloy spots on the surface as sometimes occurs. This is a sharply struck example exhibiting fine detail to all the high points. A first-class Gem!
No set of U.S. gold coins would be complete without at least one of these 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, with no sign of a "fin" of metal at the edge as in the Wire Rim variety (caused by metal being forced up between the dies and the restraining collar during repeated impressions). Often 3 to 5 blows by the dies were required to strike these fully. The surviving numbers of the High Relief twenties has always been a subject of discussion, but the ones in better grade were obviously held aside at the time of issue and remain cherished possessions today.
"High Reliefs were struck in 3 blows of the dies on a medal press in the Philadelphia Mint," according to Stack's researchers, in reference to a unique plain edge 1907 High Relief $20 gold piece the firm auction 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." (A time-consuming operation.).
Estimated Value $35,000 - 37,000.
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