1908-D $20 No Motto MS66 PCGS. CAC....

"Prior to 1983, the 1908-D No Motto was considered to be a scarce issue in mint state and a major rarity in Gem uncirculated condition. In fact, it was all but unobtainable in MS65 or higher grade and even an MS64 example was considered a rarity. The Eliasberg and Norweb Collections, both formed many years before 1983, contained some of the rarest and highest quality Saint-Gaudens double eagles in existence. However, both of those great and famous collections contained examples of the 1908-D No Motto that fell considerably short of the gem level. So did every other major collection of double eagles up to that time. Then, in 1983, a large hoard of U.S. double eagles, mostly Saints, but many Liberty Heads as well, was discovered in Central America. The hoard consisted of approximately 47,000 coins, more than 90% of them uncirculated, including many thousands which graded MS64, MS65, and even higher. The hoard was purchased by Manfra, Tordella and Brookes (MTB) and included a large number of 1908-D No Motto pieces of which this was one of the very finest. I was fortunate enough to be able to handle most of the best ones from the hoard, more than a hundred beautiful and completely original MS64, MS65, and MS66 specimens. Subsequently, other uncirculated examples of this issue, including many choice specimens, were located in Europe and sold in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As a result of the discovery and disbursement of these hoards, as many as 250-300 gems are now known of this previously impossible-to-find issue, although no more than a few, perhaps 12-15 at most, are superb gems like the Duckor specimen offered here."