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FUN Signature US Coin Sale 1251 4-6 & 8-9 Jan 2017
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Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles
1908-S $20 MS66 NGC. CAC. The year 1908 marked a transition in the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series: The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse in late 1908 at the insistence of the U.S. Congress. That body, along with the general American population, disagreed with President Theodore Roosevelt's contention that God's name should be omitted from U.S. coinage because of its blasphemous connotation. Consequently, Congress passed legislation in mid-1908 that mandated the motto appear on all coins large enough to accommodate it.
In addition to its status as a transition design type and as the first San Francisco Mint Saint-Gaudens twenty dollar, the 1908-S boasts the lowest mintage in the series (22,000 pieces), trailing only the Ultra High Relief and the High Relief. As with many San Francisco dates, a considerable number of 1908-S twenties entered the channels of commerce, evidenced by about twice as many circulated pieces known than those in Uncirculated grades. Most Uncirculated examples are concentrated in the MS60 to near-Gem range. Gem and finer specimens are quite rare.
Small to large hoards of 1908-S twenties have been rumored to exist. Walter Breen, in his 1988 Encyclopedia states: "The report of a bag of 1,000 found in Central America has not yet been confirmed." David Bowers (2004), on the other hand, writes: "Thanks to the importations of the current generation, such coins (MS62-64) are much more available (today) than they were prior to the 1980s." Exceptional mint luster is the rule for the 1908-S, and that characteristic is abundantly evident on this coin. The surfaces are bright and frosted with even yellow-gold color. The details are complete, and the central figures of Liberty and the eagle are mark-free. Truly a rare coin in this remarkable grade. Census: 5 in 66, 1 finer. CAC: 8 in 66, 4 finer (10/16).
Ex: Chicago Signature (Heritage, 8/2011), lot 7692.
1908-S $20 MS66 NGC. CAC. The year 1908 marked a transition in the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series: The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse in late 1908 at the insistence of the U.S. Congress. That body, along with the general American population, disagreed with President Theodore Roosevelt's contention that God's name should be omitted from U.S. coinage because of its blasphemous connotation. Consequently, Congress passed legislation in mid-1908 that mandated the motto appear on all coins large enough to accommodate it.
In addition to its status as a transition design type and as the first San Francisco Mint Saint-Gaudens twenty dollar, the 1908-S boasts the lowest mintage in the series (22,000 pieces), trailing only the Ultra High Relief and the High Relief. As with many San Francisco dates, a considerable number of 1908-S twenties entered the channels of commerce, evidenced by about twice as many circulated pieces known than those in Uncirculated grades. Most Uncirculated examples are concentrated in the MS60 to near-Gem range. Gem and finer specimens are quite rare.
Small to large hoards of 1908-S twenties have been rumored to exist. Walter Breen, in his 1988 Encyclopedia states: "The report of a bag of 1,000 found in Central America has not yet been confirmed." David Bowers (2004), on the other hand, writes: "Thanks to the importations of the current generation, such coins (MS62-64) are much more available (today) than they were prior to the 1980s." Exceptional mint luster is the rule for the 1908-S, and that characteristic is abundantly evident on this coin. The surfaces are bright and frosted with even yellow-gold color. The details are complete, and the central figures of Liberty and the eagle are mark-free. Truly a rare coin in this remarkable grade. Census: 5 in 66, 1 finer. CAC: 8 in 66, 4 finer (10/16).
Ex: Chicago Signature (Heritage, 8/2011), lot 7692.