1908 $20 No Motto, Wells Fargo MS69 PCGS. Short Rays Obverse. Just 10 examples of this issue have been certified by PCGS wi...

Description

Ultimate Gem 1908 No Motto Double Eagle, MS69

1908 $20 No Motto, Wells Fargo MS69 PCGS. Short Rays Obverse. Just 10 examples of this issue have been certified by PCGS with the MS69 grade, apparently all from the Wells Fargo Hoard. This is only the second appearance of such a remarkable coin in our auctions. Previously, the only MS69 example that we had handled was in the Philip Morse Collection. The Wells Fargo Hoard consisted of 19,900 double eagles, all of the 1908 No Motto variety. After the hoard was purchased by Ron Gillio in the 1990s, it was transported to Las Vegas and stored for a period of time at a Wells Fargo bank in that city, whence the name attached to the hoard. Although many believed that this hoard originated in a Wells Fargo facility, that is apparently not the case. In general, the coins were all in high grades, essentially MS65 or finer, and yet just 10 coins out of nearly 20,000 received the MS69 grade assessment.
Essentially a perfect coin with only miniscule marks on each side. The surfaces have heavy mint frost with radiant golden luster. Hazy orange toning on each side adds to the already remarkable aesthetic appeal of this amazing coin. Although not fully struck, the design elements are sharply detailed, and the surfaces have the finely granular texture as always for this date. Due to the hoard, this issue is now the most common Saint-Gaudens double eagle in grades from MS66 to MS69. How could David Akers have predicted this in 1988, before the hoard was discovered, when he wrote "Gems are also quite easy to obtain but they are not so common that they could be found by the roll, for example."
From The Jackson Hole Collection.(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26F6, Variety PCGS# 99142, Base PCGS# 9142)

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.

View all of [The Jackson Hole Collection ]

View Certification Details from PCGS