1905-S $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS MS61

We at AUCM are quite pleased to offer a great type coin, a 1905-S $20 gold piece, graded MS61 by PCGS. The year 1905 was the penultimate year of the popular Liberty head double eagle series, for it was in 1907 that the Saint-Gaudens double eagle made its debut upon the numismatic stage. This is a reasonably priced gold type coin, one that won't break the bank. If you want to build a small set of affordable gold Liberty head double eagles, this would be a good specimen to start with!

The creation of the double eagle design and coin saw conflict reach a fever pitch within the U.S. mint--between chief coiner Franklin Peale and mint director Robert Patterson on one side, and chief engraver James B. Longacre on the other. Patterson despised the senator who influenced Longacre's appointment, while Peale was running an illicit private business making medals for private clients--on the mint's dime with their equipment--with the mint director's unspoken approval. Peale had possession of the Contamin portrait lathe, which was needed to reduce models of designs of medals and coins to reductions from which working dies could be made. Peale did not want to share the lathe, which was a problem when the new double eagle was being created. Obstacle after obstacle was thrown in Longacre's path as he worked on the coin. Harassment was a constant companion for the skilled engraver, from both Patterson and Peale. It was the result of corruption by and friendship between the two mint officers. No help with engraving work, broken galvanos, broken dies, rejected dies--on more than one occasion--and a false claim of being relieved from his position--were what Longacre had to face daily. Finally he went to the Treasury Secretary in Washington, who discovered all the lies told about Longacre and his work from the Mint officials; that meeting saved his job as chief engraver.