1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Proof (With Motto)
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 101 made
- Mintage
- 101
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 33.436 g
- Diameter
- 34 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Proof (With Motto) worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1908 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Proof (With Motto) rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 101 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Proof (With Motto) real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.9675 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle?
- On the obverse, above the date. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark.
- How many 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Proof (With Motto) coins were made?
- 101.
What to check on your 1908
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the reverse for IN GOD WE TRUST. Double eagles of 1907 and early 1908 were struck without the motto; it was added above the sun in mid-1908, so 1908 coins exist both ways.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at Liberty's breast and knee and at the eagle's wing feathers. Contact marks in the open fields are common on these heavy coins.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1908 weighs 33.436 g and measures 34 mm. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer. Proofs from 1908 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1908
High relief and the motto change (1907 to 1908)
Saint-Gaudens's double eagle was first struck in 1907 in high relief with the date in Roman numerals, MCMVII. Each coin needed several blows of the press, so only 12,367 were made before Chief Engraver Charles Barber reduced the relief. The low relief coins of 1907 use Arabic numerals and were struck in large numbers. A few ultra high relief patterns were made before either version.
Like the eagle, the double eagle lacked IN GOD WE TRUST until Congress restored it in 1908. The 1908 no motto is common, helped by large hoards of uncirculated coins that came back from overseas banks. With motto coins first appeared later in 1908, with the motto added above the sun on the reverse. The 1908-S, with only 22,000 struck, is a scarce issue.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1908
Congress ordered the motto "In God We Trust" restored to US gold coins in May 1908, so both the double eagle and the eagle come in "No Motto" and "With Motto" types this year.
How to recognize it
Liberty strides forward holding a torch and an olive branch, with the Capitol building at her feet and rays of the sun behind her. The reverse shows an eagle in flight above a rising sun. The edge is lettered E PLURIBUS UNUM between stars. The 1907 high relief coins show the date in Roman numerals; later coins use Arabic numerals and lower relief.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (1907–1933) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1908 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 101 |
| Face value | $20 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 33.436 grams |
| Diameter | 34 mm |
| Edge | Lettered E PLURIBUS UNUM |
| Designer | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
Other 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (No Motto) | 4,271,551 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (With Motto) | 156,258 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1908 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Proof (With Motto) | 101 | Proof | – |
| 1908-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (No Motto) | 663,750 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1908-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (With Motto) | 349,500 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1908-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (With Motto) | 22,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Saint-Gaudens double eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.