United States, double eagle

1907, High Relief, Roman Numeral Date (MCMVII), partial wire rim, Liberty striding forward, her gown billowing, holding torch in right hand, and olive branch in left, the Capitol Building to the lower left with rays of the sun behind; the date and artist's monogram to the lower right; above, LIBERTY; around 46 stars representing the states of the union, rev., eagle flying left with the sun and its rays behind; above in two lines, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TWENTY DOLLARS, slight edge nick, otherwise about uncirculated and attractive. The last major work done by Augustus Saint-Gaudens; he did not live to see its completion. The original concept was to make a coin 'worthy of the ancients' with exceptionally high relief, but the demands of commerce made the idea impractical. Nevertheless, in November 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt insisted that a limited run (11,250) be struck, in essence as a tribute to Gaudens who had died just months earlier. Considered to be America's most beautiful coin.