#20 • 1908 Twenty Dollars U.S. Liberty Gold Coin No Motto

Part of Gold and Silver Showcase (live auction by Blue Box Auction Gallery)

High bid $3,250.00

Status: Sold

Estimated Value: $3,900-5,495 Origin: Philadelphia, United States Denomination: 20 Dollars Gold Coin Year: 1908 Mint: Philadelphia Grade/Condition: XF or VF Metal: 90% gold and 10% copper Weight (+/- 0.2g): 33.4 grams Additional Description: This 1908 Liberty Head twenty-dollar gold piece belongs to the final chapter of a long-running series that began in 1849, marking the end of an era in American coinage just as new artistic standards were beginning to take hold. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this example features the original design by Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, with Liberty wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, framed by thirteen stars representing the original states. Notably, this coin is of the “No Motto” variety, distinguished by the absence of In God We Trust on the reverse; a detail that ties it to President Theodore Roosevelt’s controversial effort to remove religious language from national coinage. The omission, intended to align American currency with classical ideals, was quickly reversed later that same year following public objection, making 1908 “No Motto” issues a short-lived and historically compelling type.