Heritage World Coin Auctions
FUN Signature US Coin Sale 1251 4-6 & 8-9 Jan 2017
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High Relief Double Eagles
1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC. Ex: Las Vegas Collection. The Saint-Gaudens High Relief double eagles served multiple purposes after their issuance late in 1907. Coins were sought-after as not only as numismatic collectibles and Christmas gifts, but also as speculative investment instruments. The new double eagles were distributed to banks and sub-Treasuries in limited quantities, and brokers took advantage of both the coins' scarcity and rampant public interest. According to the January 1908 edition of The Numismatist, "During the second week in December active trading in the new twenties was carried on in the various Curb Markets in the country, prices quoted ranged from $26 to $35. Telegraph and long distance telephone orders were executed on the N.Y. Curb for deliveries in other cities." Today, Saint-Gaudens' twenty dollar gold pieces trade hands with frequency, but the prices they achieve suggest far greater demand than the original supply of 12,367 coins could ever accommodate.
The present coin shows the usual fin, or wire rim, around the circumference of the coin, caused by metal being extruded through the tiny gap between the die and collar when the coin was struck. Most High Relief twenties display this feature. The design elements are sharply detailed and the lustrous orange-gold surfaces show no mentionable distractions. NGC has graded 32 numerically finer examples (10/16).
1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC. Ex: Las Vegas Collection. The Saint-Gaudens High Relief double eagles served multiple purposes after their issuance late in 1907. Coins were sought-after as not only as numismatic collectibles and Christmas gifts, but also as speculative investment instruments. The new double eagles were distributed to banks and sub-Treasuries in limited quantities, and brokers took advantage of both the coins' scarcity and rampant public interest. According to the January 1908 edition of The Numismatist, "During the second week in December active trading in the new twenties was carried on in the various Curb Markets in the country, prices quoted ranged from $26 to $35. Telegraph and long distance telephone orders were executed on the N.Y. Curb for deliveries in other cities." Today, Saint-Gaudens' twenty dollar gold pieces trade hands with frequency, but the prices they achieve suggest far greater demand than the original supply of 12,367 coins could ever accommodate.
The present coin shows the usual fin, or wire rim, around the circumference of the coin, caused by metal being extruded through the tiny gap between the die and collar when the coin was struck. Most High Relief twenties display this feature. The design elements are sharply detailed and the lustrous orange-gold surfaces show no mentionable distractions. NGC has graded 32 numerically finer examples (10/16).