1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim MS65 PCGS....

Description

Rarely Seen MS65 MCMVII Flat Rim High Relief

1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim MS65 PCGS. An extraordinary coin whose fame and remarkable beauty precedes it, the 1907 High Relief double eagle is one of the most coveted 20th century gold issues. Previously a part of the Phillip Morse Collection, this carefully preserved example is free of individually bothersome abrasions. The captivating surfaces show the usual minute, swirling die polish lines in the fields. The yellow-gold color with a slight overlay of reddish patina is also characteristic. Close examination reveals a trace of a localized wire rim at the right side of the obverse, this being characteristic of the newly modified design. The Wire Rim, so desired by many collectors today, was actually considered a defect by Mint personnel. As related in Roger Burdette's Renaissance of American Coinage, 1905-1908, the wire rim became an important issue for Superintendent John Landis when he received a letter on December 6 from Director Frank Leach stating:

"I was exceedingly humiliated today to have the Secretary of the Treasury call attention to the excessive burr, or fin, on one of the new double eagles now being distributed.
"I was also surprised to find so many of these defective coins in a bag as I saw in the Treasurer's office here.
"I gave explicit orders when in Philadelphia that such coins should not be delivered, and directed the man who seemed to have the coins in charge to see that the same should all be gone over and the bad ones laid aside."

Quite a strong reaction, and one that seems radical to today's numismatists as such coins are highly prized and considered a collectible striking variant. Nevertheless, the "defective coins" were largely remedied toward the end of the production run of High Reliefs, and today the Flat Rim is several times scarcer than its Wire Rim counterpart.
The only noticeable break in the silky-smooth texture of the surfaces is a short horizontal contact mark across the first and second rays on the reverse. In Gem (and finer) conditions, we have seen surprisingly few Flat Rim High Reliefs over the years.
From The Ultra Collection.(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26F2, PCGS# 9136, GSID# 10133)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 33.44 grams
AGW: 0.9675oz

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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