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Hello (No) Motto !

Started by jman425,

12 posts in this topic

stinkycheese1

stinkycheese1

Posted
Posted
What grade is it?

NGC MS62. I have another that is (green label) PCGS MS62 that looks way nicer. Better strike, luster and clarity. I may have it regraded.

 

34dpudc.jpg

 

Very nice coin. I like that one better (the PCGS one). It has alot more luster. For some reason,the later date saints have ALOT more luster. Much more eye appeal IMHO.

 

I have 2 double eagles too. Not 2 saints though, one is a 1904 double liberty.

Common date but it has some nice luster on it. It used to be in my signature but that pic isn't working for some reason..

 

Happy collecting!

 

Also, here's a picture of my saint. It used to be in a PCGS MS63 holder, NGC graded it MS64.

 

SaintObverse.jpg

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jtryka

jtryka

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Posted

Very nice 08-D NM! Although still fairly common it is much less so than it's Philly counterpart. The early Saints, particularly the NM coins usually appear flat or not well struck, but for the most part it was due to lack of detail on the dies themselves when Barber adjusted them to the low relief (this was after ASG had already died). The later dates almost always appear sharper and with more luster, particularly the common dates like the 1924. Very nice coin!

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BillJones

BillJones

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Posted
Nice coin there! I have one too...can't understand why these 1908 no motto's and earlier date saints do not seem to have much luster. I think it was just the way they were made.

 

The No Motto St. Gaudens $10 and $20 gold coins were Charles Barber's first attempt at reproducing St. Gaudens' designs in low relief. Through the years collectors have heaped a lot of criticism on these coins. First they are far less artful that the original St. Gaudens pieces. Second, as had been said here, the No Motto coins tend to have dull luster.

 

Although I am no fan of Charles Barber, I have to defend him in this instance. The St. Gaudens’ High Relief coin is a magnificent numismatic treasure, but it was totally impractical as a coin for commerce. The mint expenses were five times higher to produce these coins than they were for the conventional $20 gold. If the mint had been required to continue to produce these coins in quantity, the facility would have had to have increased its floor space beyond the size of the tract of land where the mint stood.

 

In addition I have no doubt that the High Relief coins would not stack properly. That issue was VERY important to the banks and other businesses that sometimes had to count these coins by hand. Barber had to lower the relief of the St. Gaudens designs. Business needs demanded it.

 

Here is a 1907 low relief coin that is in my collection. This piece does have very bright luster, and it is totally original. This is rather unusual for this issue. The coin is in a PCGS MS-65 holder. For once I agree with the grade although the coin does have a few more marks that I would like for an MS-65. The luster makes up for some other shortcomings.

 

I also own a 1908 No Motto $20 gold. That coin was my very first $20 gold coin. I bought in 1965 when I was in high school for $75. That was a very high price back then for that piece, but I knew that it was genuine. That piece is somewhat dull, and it is now in an NGC MS-64 holder.

 

1907SaintO.jpg1907SaintR.jpg

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