1908 No Motto

The Act of May 18, 1908, required the restoration of IN GOD WE TRUST to gold coinage, but Philadelphia had already struck the bulk of its 1908 double eagle production by then without the motto. 4,271,551 No Motto coins went through the presses, making this the single largest pre-Motto issue in the series and the final major production of Saint-Gaudens' original reverse layout. Roosevelt had signed off on the omission on the stated ground that biblical mottoes were inappropriate on circulating coinage, a position Saint-Gaudens shared on artistic grounds. Congress overruled both men after public objection, and Philadelphia's subsequent Motto production that same year amounted to less than four percent of the No Motto figure. The design itself is identical to the 1907 Low Relief regular issue: Arabic numerals, Barber-reduced relief, lettered edge, 46 obverse stars.

Strike quality across the 4.27 million pieces varies more than the mintage scale suggests. The best examples show full detail across Liberty's torch, skirt folds, and the Capitol rays behind her, along with crisp separation on the eagle's primary feathers. Weaker strikes, typically seen on coins from later die pairs or shortened die life, show mushy detail in the torch flame and flatness in the central eagle. Surface preservation also matters more than grade alone, because large gold coins of this period moved hard: bag marks on the obverse fields, particularly on Liberty's thigh and the open field left of her, are a constant consideration. Counterfeits in the circulated and low Mint State range are a documented problem, and PCGS or NGC certification is the standard safeguard. CAC approval tightens the quality expectation another step where available.

The 1908 No Motto functions as the default type coin for collectors assembling a two-type Saint-Gaudens set, because it offers the No Motto reverse in sufficient supply that buyers can focus on eye appeal and certification detail rather than date-hunting. European bank vault hoards returned substantial numbers of the issue to U.S. collectors from the 1950s onward, which is the principal reason Mint State survival is high even after the 1933 gold recall that melted most domestic examples. Prices through MS64 track a tight band above gold content, while MS65 and MS66 open a clear registry-set premium, and finest-known examples at MS67 clear the six-figure threshold. The issue is recommended certified rather than raw, given both the counterfeit risk and the premium structure at MS65 and above that rewards narrow grading distinctions. For the series' broader transition from No Motto to Motto production and the place of the 1908 issues within it, see the St. Gaudens Gold $20 Double Eagles history article.