Among the most recognizable issues in the pantheon of American currency is the Series of 1905 Technicolor $20 Gold Certificate. Although similar to later designs, the Technicolor stands apart due to its vivid yellow-orange tint and the burnt-orange Treasury seal that grab attention.
The previous $20 Gold Certificate designs featured martyred President James A. Garfield on the face and an eagle on the back symbolically joining the Atlantic Telegraph. The Series of 1905 marked a transition (at least in an aesthetic sense) toward the small size notes of the late 1920s. The depiction of President George Washington at center is adapted from a portrait painted by the esteemed artist Gilbert Stuart and later engraved by Alfred Sealey for placement on the Series of 1869 $1 Legal Tender Note. Flanked by an excess of scrollwork and floral elements, the centered portrait of Washington is a distinctly twentieth century composition with the layout mirroring many successive designs which would evolve into what we see today on Federal Reserve Notes.
The back design engraved by Robert Ponickau continues the aesthetic tradition of previous issues of gold certificates. The bright-orange overprint continued a tradition that would be upheld through the issuance of large-size Gold Certificates and the Series of 1934 $100 Gold Certificates, following the brief interruption brought upon by the Series of 1928. Unfortunately, the back of these notes followed a less than noble tradition of fading in circulation; collectors pay a premium to avoid this fading when acquiring this iconic type for their own holdings.
Printed only from 1905 to 1906, the Technicolor note was soon phased out in favor of the Series of 1906 which eschewed the orange tinted paper and the burnt orange seal in favor of a yellow-gold Treasury Seal and white paper.
At present, 567 examples are recorded in the Track & Price census for the Series of 1905 $20 Gold Certificate. Among those are the Serial Number 1 (lot 2051) example pedigreed to President Theodore Roosevelt which Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold at auction for $552,000 in August 2018.
Even examples bearing heavy circulation attract significant attention and strong prices with an example graded Fine-12 by PMG (lot 20217) realizing $2,280 in our November 2023 Showcase Auction. The Technicolor has remained a popular issue with collectors and dealers alike, its iconic status fostering demand that is often lost upon rarer notes which are offered only sparingly at auction.
To consign your numismatic items to one of our upcoming auctions, please call 800-458-4646 or email Info@StacksBowers.com.
