LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 Jan. FUN Signature Coin Auction #454  / 

3358

1907 $20 Arabic Numerals MS67 NGC

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:13,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1907 $20 Arabic Numerals MS67 NGC
<B>1907 $20 Arabic Numerals MS67 NGC.</B></I> The Saint-Gaudens double eagle has long been considered on the most beautiful designs in history of our nation's coinage, but few have said it so eloquently as Cornelius Vermeule does in his Numismatic Art in America (2007): "The (Saint-Gaudens) double eagle is perhaps the most majestic coin ever to bear our national imprint. The Liberty striding forward is as grand in miniature as the Hellenistic Victory of Samothrace on a heroic scale. The eagle in flight against the sun on the reverse achieves complete domination of motion and expanding vista over the confines of a tiny tondo. Although the authorities at the Mint flattened the relief to facilitate striking and handling, this coin has remained a forceful demonstration that modern, mechanical coinage need in no way be pedestrian." <BR> The Saint-Gaudens double eagle design captivated collectors and non-numismatists alike when it arrived in 1907. The low-relief version of the same figures, however, did not experience an afterglow of intentional saving, and most examples were melted or became worn. Mint State representatives appear on the market, and even Gems can be had with a little patience, but finding anything finer requires extensive searching and a measure of luck. For one fortunate bidder, the search will end with this lot. The devices are boldly impressed, and the elegant apricot-gold surfaces show strong luster with a whisper of satin. The physical dynamics of this issue, being of large diameter, substantial weight and of a soft metal, account for the reason why so many have bagmarks and abrasions. Even those pieces that were carefully handled through the years were bound to pick up a flaw or two, such as a scuff or even a fingerprint. This piece is an exquisitely preserved survivor, tied for the finest certified by either NGC or PCGS (12/07).<BR><BR><B>Coin Engraver:</B> Augustus Saint-Gaudens<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
Sign In to Bookmark Lot