1908 $10 Indian Head Eagle, No Motto PCGS MS-65

While the 1907 No Periods Indian eagle is relatively common, the 1908 No Motto issue is a far different story. Struck to a modest mintage of just 33,500 pieces—the lowest production of the series after the 1911-D—it ranks among the key dates in the No Motto Indian $10 series. The first ten-dollar gold pieces produced at the Philadelphia and Denver mints in early 1908 omitted the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, reflecting President Theodore Roosevelt’s personal objection to placing the Deity’s name on coinage. The motto was not legally restored until May of that year, with actual production of the With Motto design beginning in June. As a result, Gem examples of the 1908 No Motto are seldom available, and coins finer than MS65 remain notoriously rare and well out of reach for most collectors.

The present MS65 example is distinguished by vibrant, frosty peach-gold mint luster that beautifully complements the well-struck design elements, showing only a touch of softness on the hair and headdress feathers. Neither side displays bothersome abrasions for the grade; the fields are especially clean and inviting. Although the mintage of 33,500 pieces provides a reasonable supply of lower-grade coins, the 1908 No Motto becomes quite scarce at the Gem level and above, making this Gem Uncirculated specimen a particularly desirable representative for advanced collectors of the Indian eagle series.