$20 St Gaudens Gold

The $20 St Gaudens is perhaps the most promoted U.S. gold coin. Dealers claim they are exempt from confiscation,even though they were confiscated and are today still at the center of lawsuits related to confiscation.

In fact in 2004, 10 coins, worth approximately $7 million each were confiscated and have been held by the government while the courts sort out whether the government still has title to the coins.

These coins are less than one ounce of gold and sold as an alternative to bullion.

$20 St Gaudens have not appreciated as much as gold. They have gone up about 70c for every dollar gold has gone up for coins graded MS-63. Appreciation on higher grades is much less. There are brokers claiming these coins go up as much as $3 per $1 gold goes up, which is a blatant lie.

While this is a very common coin it is not as liquid as bullion coins. There is also a much larger spread, or difference between buy and sell.

These coins offer no advantage over coins like American Gold Eagles or Buffaloes.