St. Gaudens $20 Gold with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1907-1932)

The $20 St. Gaudens - so called because the designer's name was Augustus St. Gaudens - was first introduced in 1907 with Roman numerals at the date and a high relief design. Later in 1907, the design was modified with the normal date (called an Arabic date) and much lower relief. Late in 1908 the motto "In God We Trust" was added to the reverse. The $20 St. Gaudens is one of the most popular coins in the world due to its beautiful design. Collectors who would never have the inclination (or the bankroll!) to build a complete set will inevitably buy at least one $20 "Saint." Private ownership of gold was outlawed in the 1930s and many coins that had not been released were melted. This created many great rarities within the series. The key issues include the 1907 High Relief (MCMVII), 1908-S, 1920-S, 1921, 1924-D, 1924-S, 1925-D, 1925-S, 1926-D, 1927-D (a major rarity), 1927-S, 1929, 1930-S, 1931, 1931-D, and 1932. The 1933 date is also a great rarity and controversy rages even today as to whether this issue is legal to own.