1908 $20 With Motto,NGC Proof 66. $89,900.00 ( Numismedia shows $96,010.00 )The artistic spirit that was unleashed at the U.S. Mint with the new Saint-Gaudens designs apparently carried over to the Mint's experiments with proof gold finishes in the 1900s and 1910s, before regular-issue proof gold coinage largely came to an end in 1915. The 1908 With Motto proof double eagles were the first proofs sold to the public of the new Saint-Gaudens design. While the Mint tried as many as three different finishes on proof gold in 1908, the large majority were produced in a dark, fairly coarse-grained matte proof finish. Matte proofs were all the rage at European mints of the era, particularly Paris, but they failed to catch on with American collectors, who preferred brighter, more reflective finishes of earlier years. Proof gold of 1909 and 1910 saw the lighter Roman or Satin Finish.
The matte finish on this impressive piece displays light mustard-gold colored surfaces and needle sharp design elements, with no areas of weakness. No significant contact marks or copper spots are apparent on either side. A truly lovely proof Saint!