1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin

The 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin is named after its designer, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a renowned sculptor who was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to redesign the $20 gold coin. St. Gaudens are widely collected by numismatists and popular among investors as they contain nearly one full troy ounce of gold and feature a cherished, very patriotic design.
Production of the St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin, which had already been cut back severely in 1916, would go on full hiatus through World War I. Only San Francisco produced St. Gaudens in 1916, and no proof coins were made that year.
The challenge with these coins, however, is the fact that they are so aged, very few pieces have survived the years in excellent condition. Because fewer well-preserved pieces exist every year, finding a 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin in excellent condition is only going to grow ever more challenging.

Grading the 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin

For coins that are more than a century old, the first and only goal of collectors is to find pieces that have been extremely well-preserved. Unfortunately, thanks to the age of these coins and how heavily they have been circulated over the years, their condition is never guaranteed. For this reason, collectors of all types will carefully analyze the surfaces of a coin in order to spot even the smallest signs of wear and tear.

Normally, a person who is looking to find out more about the condition of a coin will have that piece sent away for grading at the hands of a professional company. Knowing that not everyone can afford to have their coins sent away, we have provided below a listing of the popular coin grades.

Uncirculated: If your 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin is determined to be Uncirculated, this means that the piece in question was never exchanged on the open market. Thanks to this, the coin will have preserved its overall texture and will appear as though it was just recently minted. For collectors, these coins are far and away the most desirable.

Extremely Fine: A coin graded as being Extremely Fine is one that spent only a short period of time being exchanged. These coins will show some extremely light signs of wear and tear, but these will only be able to be made out under close inspection. Being a bit more affordable and still in excellent condition, these coins are also quite desirable in the eyes of collectors.

Fine: A coin that is graded as being Fine is one that was in circulation for an extended period of time, but managed to avoid most of the physical pitfalls often encountered by coins that have been so heavily circulated. For the price, you would be hard-pressed to find a coin that is in better condition.

Good: Good is the grade reserved for coins that have left their better days behind them. Coins of this grade are home to plenty of wear, most of which is quite noticeable. All in all, you can expect that these coins will be chipped, bent, or otherwise heavily damaged.

Pricing the 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin

Determining a price for the 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin is simple. Collectors are so concerned with the condition of the coin that the better-preserved a coin is, the higher the asking price will be. Listed below is a chart aimed at giving you a better idea of what you might ask to be paid for an 1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin given its type and condition.

St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1916 St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin (S)	N/A	N/A	$1,475	$1,485
Source: Red Book