The first quarter of the year 2012 saw an upward trend in the demand for US mint gold coins as well as silver coins. One of the oldest numismatic firms owned by a family, Kagin’s Inc.’s President, Don Kagin said that the demand for precious metal coins will experience a roller coaster ride all through 2012. However, the demand for silver and gold will remain strong all over the world, and in the long term, prices of gold as well as silver will rise.

Kagin further revealed that record prices are being placed on rare coins and low interest levels are being witnessed for generics as people feel they can be picked up from anywhere. Another arena that is capturing the interest of coin buyers are pieces which have rare dates on them Kagin added.

In January 2012, with the sale of 6,107,000 US minted silver coins and 256,500 US mint gold coins, the precious metal market saw a peak, which it hadn’t witnessed since August 2011.

US mint gold coins are among the most popular gold coins of the world, which are appreciated both by investors as well as collectors. One popular coin minted in the United States is the Saint Gaudens $20 gold coin.

US Gold Mint Coins: Types of Saint Gaudens $20 Gold Pieces

Saint Gaudens $20 coins are numismatic gold pieces which are certified by the US mint for their gold content. This along with their beautiful make coupled with their rarity makes them a much demanded coin both from the perspective of collection as well as a hedge against inflation. These coins are available in different makes and patterns and include the following:

1.    High Relief MCMVII, Saint Gaudens $20 Coins: These coins were minted only in 1907. The demand for these coins is quite high even though their supply does not warrant an extremely rare status. These are one of the rarest gold coins to ever come up for sale as they are mostly owned by people who do not want to trade them, earning them the name of “Best Friend of Gold Coin Dealers”. The Saint Gaudens $20 coins are available in two different types:

•    Wire Edge.
•    Flat Edge.

One version of these rare coins is the Ultra High Relief or Extremely High Relief. Although these coins were designed to look exactly alike, 80% of the coins produced contained extra metal and became known as the wire edged coins. There is some debate over the numbers of such coins available (can be 22 or 24 such coins).
2.     Saint Gaudens $20 Coins with No Motto: These coins were produced between 1907 and 1908. These coins do not possess the “In God We Trust” motto. Most people believe the motto was not included on the recommendation of President Roosevelt who did not want this motto to be engraved on any coin minted in the United States.
3.    Saint Gaudens $20 Coins with Motto: These coins were minted in the US from 1908-1933 and are considered to be one of the most famous rare gold coins. In 1908, the “In God We Trust” motto was incorporated on these gold coins. Their design was also changed, wherein Lady Liberty’s leg was trimmed down. At present there are around 349,000 pieces of Saint Gaudens $20 coins available for purchase in the market.

The production of Saint Gauden $20 US mint gold coins were stopped in 1933. Also, many of the earlier pieces were melted during the Great Depression to increase the gold reserves of the state. Due to this, these coins are highly appreciated in the gold market. The prices of these coins vary depending on the state and year in which they were minted along with their version.