Coin Community Family of Web Sites Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors
Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Join Thousands of Coin, Bullion, & Money Collectors Shop for APMEX Bullion on eBay!300,000 items to help build your collection! Specializing in Modern Numismatics








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

Miniature $20 St Gauden Gold Piece 1908

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 22 / Views: 98,836Next Topic
Page: of 2
New Member

United States
22 Posts
 Posted 03/04/2009  2:52 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add ameadows to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I have been left a collection of coins and there is one coin that has brought up alot of conversation. It is a 1908 $20 Saint gaudens coin however it is a miniature verison of it. Extremely great detail on the coin. It is 1 cm in size. I have had people say are you sure that the date it 1908 and I have had several people look at it under a magnefing lens and everyone has come to the same conclusion that it says 1908.

Can anyone give me any information on the coin or what it is worth.

Thanks

Meadows
Bedrock of the Community
biokemist6's Avatar
United States
12437 Posts
 Posted 03/04/2009  3:02 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add biokemist6 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You have a reproduction of a Saint Gaudens $20 gold coin, it is not a US Mint product and was almost certainly not made in 1908. More than likely, it is not gold but it may be gold plated. However, gold plating only adds a minuscule amount of gold so an item like this has little value.
Rest in Peace
numismo's Avatar
United States
3039 Posts
 Posted 03/04/2009  7:25 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add numismo to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I think Franklin Mint or an outfit like that put out a "Miniature Coins of the United States" set many years ago.
Pillar of the Community
steve199's Avatar
United States
1882 Posts
 Posted 03/05/2009  01:46 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add steve199 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
There's an ebay seller that sells those things for $5.75 each, and puts 24K gold in the title, but buries the letters "HGE" in the description. Then she throws a fit when buyers leave her negative feedback saying that she was deceptive. HGE means it is gold plated.

( edited to fix my facts...just ran across one of their auctions )


Edited by steve199
03/05/2009 09:40 am
Bedrock of the Community
Conder101's Avatar
United States
17884 Posts
 Posted 03/06/2009  12:30 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Conder101 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Years ago when gold was cheaper they did actually make 8KT miniature reproductions of double eagles, fantasy Maxamillion peso etc. They had about $8 worth of gold them at the time.
New Member
imnextdoor's Avatar
United States
1 Posts
 Posted 11/06/2009  01:12 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add imnextdoor to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you Steve199!
I just encountered said lady and am hoping to get a refund...if not, she messed with the wrong person...will give her heck!
Thanks again!!
Valued Member
bwbollom's Avatar
United States
293 Posts
 Posted 11/06/2009  01:53 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bwbollom to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I believe I have one of each (or something similar), purchased when I was a kid back in the 80s. Here's one still in a sealed, plastic holder (which I then put in a 2x2) that is marked 8kt:
Miniature-$20-St-Gauden-Gold-Piece-1908

Then I also have this one which is taped to a card that explains that it is 24kt electroplated (as highlighted):
Miniature-$20-St-Gauden-Gold-Piece-1908

So, how much would a little sliver of 8kt gold be worth these days? I couldn't have spent more than $5-10 on it back then.
Pillar of the Community
trdhrdr007's Avatar
United States
2335 Posts
 Posted 11/06/2009  08:49 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add trdhrdr007 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
8K gold is .333 pure(8/24), knowing that, the weight, & the spot price you could figure a value.
Pillar of the Community
nod2003's Avatar
United States
3294 Posts
 Posted 11/06/2009  09:11 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add nod2003 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Of course, I would think that there would be a slight penalty for gold only 33% pure compared to the spot price of the same total amount of gold at 90%.
Rest in Peace
johnny54321's Avatar
United States
4849 Posts
 Posted 11/06/2009  10:22 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add johnny54321 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Thank you Steve199!
I just encountered said lady and am hoping to get a refund...if not, she messed with the wrong person...will give her heck!
Thanks again!


Did you purchase it recently? Were you under the impression that it was a real 1908 $20 gold piece? If so, OUCH! I would be pursuing a refund ASAP! Did you buy it on ebay?
Pillar of the Community
trdhrdr007's Avatar
United States
2335 Posts
 Posted 11/06/2009  11:53 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add trdhrdr007 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Of course, I would think that there would be a slight penalty for gold only 33% pure compared to the spot price of the same total amount of gold at 90%.


There's not really a "penalty", but depending on where you are selling there can be refining & assay fees. The place I send my garage sale finds to refines the whole batch & pays a set percentage of the pure gold melt value, without any additional fees. I get the same % of melt value whether it's 10K, 14k, or 24K.
Bedrock of the Community
Conder101's Avatar
United States
17884 Posts
 Posted 11/09/2009  5:48 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Conder101 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
10, 14, 18, and 24K gold are all pretty much standard alloys which can be reused without additional refining. 8K is not standard and either has to be further refined or more gold has to be added to it to bring it to a standard fineness.
Valued Member
Jason11006's Avatar
United States
133 Posts
 Posted 02/07/2010  12:08 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Jason11006 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I have one of these. Its still in the box from the Columbia Mint. Mines says 24kt on the back. I got it from my local coin shop for $15. he said it was .29 grams of Pure gold. I think he lied to me. it was an impulse buy. I've acually never bought gold before and this way I could have some for very cheap. I feel now after research that I got mega ripped off. Unless the 24kt gold ones are not HGE. Then in that case ill be happy paying $15 for $5 worth in real gold. could someone let me kno.

Miniature-$20-St-Gauden-Gold-Piece-1908

Miniature-$20-St-Gauden-Gold-Piece-1908
Valued Member
United States
60 Posts
 Posted 03/08/2010  8:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add coinundrum to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, I've seen those for sale as well. 100% novelty, but pretty neat nevertheless. I'm pretty surprised at detail of some of the miniatures that have been offered lately.
Bedrock of the Community
Bryan1315's Avatar
United States
14454 Posts
 Posted 03/08/2010  11:26 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Bryan1315 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I have one of these. Its still in the box from the Columbia Mint. Mines says 24kt on the back. I got it from my local coin shop for $15

Here is a ad from a Popular mechanics magazine from 1980 for the Columbia Mint mini's http://books.google.com/books?id=D9...e&q=&f=false
New Member
K05T4R's Avatar
United States
4 Posts
 Posted 10/19/2010  11:21 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add K05T4R to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Hi I am new to coin collecting but I have one of these *miniatures* also, it says its solid gold nothing about HGE or plating, it says 1907 high relief, 24Kt gold, .9999 AU, 10mm. It is TINY, it was purchased 8 yrs ago. I dont have a magnifier but it appears to have decent detail but I dont see how it really has any value as tiny as it is!
  Previous TopicReplies: 22 / Views: 98,836Next Topic
Page: of 2

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.32 seconds to rattle this change. Forums