Numismatic

1908 $20 St Gaudens Gold No Motto MS-65 PCGS (Wells Fargo)

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The 1908 Saint-Gaudens twenty-dollar gold piece represents a stunning pinnacle of American coinage design. On its obverse, Liberty strides forward with determination, holding a lit torch and an olive branch, while the United States Capitol building appears in the background. The reverse displays a majestic eagle soaring across the face of a rising sun. This specific variety is notable for the absence of the traditional motto, presenting the artwork in its purest form. This particular coin carries an extraordinary provenance as part of the famous Wells Fargo Hoard, a massive cache of over 15,000 Saint-Gaudens gold coins discovered in Las Vegas during the early 1990s. Originally assembled by a collector in 1917, the entire group was concealed for more than half a century. Because they were hidden away, these coins managed to escape the federal gold confiscation order of 1933. When the hoard was finally examined, investigators found the coins rolled in paper tubes, packed into canvas bags, and secured inside screw-top boxes within a large walk-in vault, all surrounded by a fine layer of gold dust. The coins were eventually inventoried, sorted, and sold in 1996. Because of these decades of careful preservation, an astonishing 95 percent or more of the hoard achieved a grade of Mint State 65 or higher, offering a rare glimpse of these gold masterpieces in their original, untouched state.