Description

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt met with artist sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to task him with redesigning the American gold coins. The image that Saint-Gaudens developed is today considered the most beautiful to ever appear on an American coin.  The depiction of Lady Liberty that Saint-Gaudens developed and refined in 1907-1908 first appeared on the $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle between 1907 and 1933.

Saint-Gaudens’ image of Liberty depicts her in full-figure as she walks forward from the national capital holding her torch aloft. Visible in the design is the US Capitol Building at Liberty’s feet, with 48 stars surrounding Liberty’s image. When Saint-Gaudens designed this coin originally, it included only 46 stars, but in 1912 the addition of Arizona and New Mexico to the Union required the addition of two stars to the design.

On the reverse of all $20 Gold Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Coins is an American bald eagle soaring above the rays of the sun, with the words “United States of America” engraved above it, along with the face value of the coin.

The United States Mint struck the $20 Gold Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coin between 1907 and 1933. The Denver and San Francisco Mints struck these coins with “D” and “S” mint marks, respectively, while Philadelphia Mint specimens had no mint mark.