1908-D Saint Gaudens Double Eagle
The addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST in 1908 by Congressional mandate resulted in the final major design change for Augustus Saint-Gaudens' inspired double eagle design. The premier Denver Mint issue of the new type, the 1908-D No Motto was once considered a major rarity even in lower Mint State grades. Enough examples have been repatriated in recent years — starting with a particularly impressive bounty located in Central America in 1983 — that today's fortunate collectors will have little difficulty obtaining a coin in the MS-60 to MS-64 range.
The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the January 2013 Americana Auction, where it realized $31,137.