1907 Saint Gaudens (1907 $20 Saint Gaudens), PCGS MS64. This choice mint state 1907 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle shows a considerable amount of mint luster within its devices. A few wispy marks on the obverse and a small scratch on the reverse at the suns rays keep this coin from a gem grade. The strike is above average on the obverse with slight central weakness and weakness on the suns rays on the reverse.

The coin, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, shows Liberty holding a torch in one hand, representing enlightenment, and an olive branch, a symbol of peace, in the other. She strides across a rocky outcrop; behind her are the Capitol building and the rays of the sun. The figure is surrounded by 46 stars, one for each of the states in 1907. The reverse is a side view of a flying eagle, seen slightly from below, with a rising sun and its rays behind it. The edge bears the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Saint-Gaudens felt he could not place a third line of text on the reverse without unbalancing the composition, and the obverse lacked room for the motto, so it was placed on the edge.

Unfortunately Saint-Gaudens died in 1907, almost on the eve of the coin's debut. Meanwhile, Roosevelt was preoccupied with more pressing matters of state. All this, combined with the requirements of mass-produced coinage, gave Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber a chance and an excuse to reduce the coin's relief. High-speed minting required this, he said and what's more, high-relief coins wouldn't stack.