1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS63 NGC....

Description

1907 High Relief Twenty, MS63, Wire Rim
Exceptionally Pleasing for the Grade

1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS63 NGC. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was called the "American Michelangelo" by one of the greatest historians of the past century, Henry Steele Commager. Saint-Gaudens' sculpture was greatly influenced by classical tradition that he learned when he went to Rome to escape the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. It was there that he was greatly influenced by what might be called the Neo-Florentine school of sculpture which emphasized the realism and naturalism used by the great sculptors and painters of the Renaissance. Saint-Gaudens along with architects Stanford White and Henry Hobson, and painter John La Farge were all part of this new breed of American artist. All of them were familiar with the tradition of Classical art, but they adapted their talents in each of their fields to a uniquely American style. As Henry Duffy, curator of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site wrote:

"All sought to clarify and simplify the art of the past, fusing European tradition with the simple moral tone preferred by Americans. What developed was a cosmopolitan style."

These Classically influenced elements can be seen through all of Saint-Gaudens' works, and it is especially evident in the gold coins he designed at the behest of Theodore Roosevelt. This is a lovely example of the first variant, the Wire Rim. The surfaces display bright, satiny lemon-yellow color with just the slightest tinge of reddish patina. Both sides are exceptionally clean for a coin in this grade with the only noticeable mark located across the rays of the sun on the reverse.(Registry values: N4719)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26F2, PCGS# 9135, Greysheet# 10131)

Weight: 33.44 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

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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