1908 $20 Saint Gaudens W/M PCGS MS63

Introduction

The 1908 $20 Saint-Gaudens With Motto Double Eagle graded PCGS MS63 is a Mint State example from an important transitional year in the series. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this issue marked the return of the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST to the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. With a mintage of just 156,258 coins, the 1908 With Motto is significantly less common than its No Motto counterpart from the same year.

History

Augustus Saint-Gaudens' Double Eagle debuted in 1907 and originally omitted the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. President Theodore Roosevelt supported the omission, believing the use of God's name on circulating money was inappropriate. Public and congressional opposition followed, and Congress required the motto to be restored to U.S. coinage in 1908.

As a result, two major versions of the Philadelphia Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle were struck in 1908. The Philadelphia Mint struck 4,271,551 No Motto coins, while only 156,258 examples of the With Motto issue were produced. The restored motto appears prominently on the reverse above the rising sun, establishing the basic design used for the remainder of the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle series.

Design

The obverse features Liberty advancing forward with a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. Rays of the rising sun appear behind her, with the U.S. Capitol visible in the background. The inscription LIBERTY appears above, surrounded by 46 stars representing the states of the Union in 1908.

The reverse depicts an eagle in flight above rays of the rising sun. The inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY DOLLARS appear above the eagle, while the restored motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the sun. The coin's lettered edge carries the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.