$345,000.00 USD
The Saint-Gaudens $20 gold double eagle, first issued in 1907, is widely acclaimed as one of the most magnificent U.S. coin designs. It was born from President Theodore Roosevelt's ambition to beautify American coinage and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens' artistry. The coin's obverse features Liberty striding forward with a torch and olive branch, framed by 46 stars (as of 1911, before New Mexico and Arizona's stars were added in 1912) and the inscription "LIBERTY." The reverse depicts a majestic flying eagle above a rising sun and rays, with IN GOD WE TRUST added starting in 1908.
Proof versions of the Saint-Gaudens double eagle were struck in very limited numbers at the Philadelphia Mint from 1907 through 1915. Unlike earlier 19th-century proofs with mirrored surfaces, these early 20th-century proof gold coins featured experimental surface finishes. In 1908, the Mint introduced a Matte Proof (also called "Sandblast" proof) finish: after striking, coins were placed in a sealed box and bombarded with sand to create a fine granular texture on the surfaces.
Obverse: Lady Liberty strides confidently forward, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left, rays of the rising sun extending behind her. The U.S. Capitol appears in the lower left. The date “1911” is boldly engraved near her right foot, all surrounded by a ring of 46 stars.
Reverse: An eagle soars powerfully against a radiant sunburst backdrop. The inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “TWENTY DOLLARS,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” are placed harmoniously above and below the central motif, capturing the coin’s majestic symmetry.
Graded NGC PR67, this example is a nearly unparalleled survivor among the small mintage of just 100 pieces. The surfaces are velvety and satiny, devoid of marks or haze, and the devices are rendered with extraordinary clarity. It is a masterpiece of American medallic art and among the most coveted gold proofs of the Saint-Gaudens series.
