Numismatic

1907 $20 St Gaudens Gold High Relief Wire Edge MS-64 PCGS

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In 1907, a dramatic transformation occurred in American coinage. The Saint-Gaudens Gold Twenty Dollars debuted with a striking high relief format, a design that stood out in bold, sculptural contrast to standard circulating coins. This particular issue features a distinct wire edge, a fine rim of metal that formed during the high-pressure minting process required to bring up the deep details of the design. The obverse side presents a powerful depiction of Lady Liberty. She is shown striding forward with confidence, illuminated by the rays of a rising sun. In her hands, she carries a lit torch to light the way and an olive branch representing peace. The year of issue is presented in elegant Roman numerals as MCMVII. On the reverse, a majestic bald eagle is captured mid-flight, soaring across the sky before a brilliant sun. The inscriptions on this side clearly designate the issuing authority as the United States of America and state the face value of Twenty Dollars. This initial high-relief concept, while visually spectacular, was eventually modified to a lower relief to better accommodate the demands of mass production, leaving a limited mintage of just 12,267 of these original pieces.