1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim, MS66 PCGS....

Description

MCMVII High Relief Twenty, MS66
Scarce Flat Edge Variety, Glowing Luster

1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim, MS66 PCGS. A personal letter from President Theodore Roosevelt to the Secretary of the Treasury L.M. Shaw dated December 27, 1904, was quickly provided the impetus to redesign United States coinage. He wrote to Secretary Shaw:

"I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible, without asking the permission of Congress, to employ a man like St. Gaudens to give us a coinage that would have some beauty?"

     Roosevelt recommended an $85,000 contingency fund to get the design process started. Initially, two Saint-Gaudens designs were envisioned - one design for the four circulating gold denominations and another design for a bronze one cent piece. After two years of collaboration with Saint-Gaudens and the Mint's personnel, Roosevelt settled on the Saint-Gaudens double eagle motifs and abandoned the cent for a new ten dollar gold piece design. Per Roosevelt's initial recommendations, the designs were to be medallic in appearance with high design reliefs and a high rim. None of those requirements set well with the Mint's hierarchy, nor were they practical for mass production. But rather than endure another round of reduced relief models and other production delays, Roosevelt insisted the Mint do whatever was necessary to immediately strike both the Ultra High Relief double eagles (each coin requiring seven impressions from the medal press at 150 tons of pressure to fully strike the design) and later, the High Relief alternatives that were almost equally challenging to produce.
     About 20 of the Ultra High Relief patterns were struck in all, which were parceled out to dignitaries and "insiders." Later in 1907, additional quantities of High Relief twenties from modified relief dies. Still, the High Relief twenties were problematic, with each coin requiring three blows from the medal press. Every coin had to be annealed between strikes, requiring about 12 minutes to complete a single High Relief double eagle. Enough coins were struck to satisfy Roosevelt. The early strikes all had a pronounced "fin" or wire rim, from extra metal extruded between the rim and the collar so the coins would not stack. The Mint finally solved the problem in late 1907 by changing the way planchets were milled, to the point that High Relief double eagles made after December 16 of that year show better detail near the rim and an almost invisible fin. These High Relief Flat Rim pieces (such as the present coin) were so well-struck Engraver Charles Barber was concerned Roosevelt might require the Mint to keep making them.
     This Premium Gem example is fully struck with impeccable satin luster throughout the antique-gold surfaces. There are no distracting marks whatsoever and the eye appeal is nothing short of extraordinary. Among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins. PCGS Population: 68 in 66 (6 in 66+), 18 finer (8/26).
Ex: Summer FUN Signature (Heritage, 7/2026), lot 3299.(Registry values: N10218)

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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