DOUBLE EAGLE 1908-1933 With Motto

United States coinage has never been more beautiful than it was in the early years of the 20th century. The Buffalo nickel ... the Mercury dime ... the Standing Liberty quarter ... the Walking Liberty half dollar, these were among the aesthetically stunning coins that made their first appearance and circulated side by side during that period.

Fittingly, however, the centerpiece of this "golden age" wasn't a nickel or silver coin, but one made out of gold. The Saint-Gaudens double eagle, or $20 gold piece, stands above the rest as the single most magnificent coin of this or any era in U.S. history.

In 1908 the Saint-Gaudens design was modified by adding IN GOD WE TRUST. This came as a result of an Act of Congress, a direct response to President Roosevelt's disdain for the name of God appearing on any coin. Roosevelt failed in his effort to forever strike the name of God from all coinage.

Otherwise the design is the same as the proceeding. Issues minted from 1908 through 1911 have 46 stars around the obverse border, while those minted from 1912 through 1933 have 48 stars, reflecting a larger number of states in the Union. Production was accomplished on a fairly continuous basis from 1908 through 1933.

Mintages were generally modest, but heavy melting, not low mintage, was primarily responsible for creation of the major rarities, including the 1927-D, the 1920-S, the 1921, the 1930-S and the 1932. The survival of many of these dates is predominately due to the large quantity of gold coins held in Swiss and French bank vaults. This large gold coin is actively sought by a myriad of collectors: from bullion hoarders to type collectors to those challenged by the awesome (and expensive) undertaking of assembling a complete date and mintmark set.

Despite high mintage's, certain issues of the 1920s are rare, for many were simply stored by the Treasury Department and then melted following the 1933 gold recall.