$20 St. Gaudens Type Gold Coin History:
The Saint Gaudens design was created in 1907 for use on $20 US gold coins and would come to be known as the double eagle. The coins were only produced until 1933, but during their short time in circulation they would prove to be a public favorite. Originally designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a US Mint sculptor, the images depicted on the coin have been applied to numerous other coins produced by the mint. Such notable coins include the American Gold Eagle.
$20 Saint Gaudens Type Gold Coin Specifications:
- Minted in United States
- Minted from 1907-1933
- Face Value $20
- Purity 0.900 fine pure gold
- Gold content .9675 troy oz.
- Thickness 2.41 mm
- Diameter 34 mm
- Known as the St Gaudens Double Eagle
- Obverse: a female Liberty to represent victory, with a torch in one hand to show enlightenment, and an olive branch in the other to show peace as she marches over a rocky outcrop with the sun’s rays coming from below. The word “Liberty” overhead, surrounded by 46 stars to represent the 46 states back in 1907.
- Reverse: shows a flying eagle with a rising sun shining its rays onto it. The words “United States of America are overhead with the denomination Twenty Dollars below. (Fun Fact: The Eagle cannot be shown on any cent coin, must be shown on a dollar coin)
- Due to the thickness of this coin, St. Gaudens added text to the edge of the coin stating “E Pluribus Unim,”
Gold coins, like the $20 Saint Gaudens Type Gold known as the St Gaudens Double Eagle, minted in the U.S. prior to 1933 possess not only gold’s tangible value, they also make a brilliant addition to any collection. The appeal of pre-33 gold coins is centered on gold’s reputation for being a sturdy investment, and enhanced by the value of rare and historically significant coinage.
