1927 $5 Saint Gaudens $20 Error PCGS MS65 CAC. Here is a Gem 1927 Saint-Gaudens double eagle with a strike-thru error on its reverse. It is a small rectangular strike-thru at the lower left border. The coin is a gorgeous piece with full mint frost and orange and yellow gold coloring on both sides. The colors confirm the coins originality. The strike is strong with full details on Libertys bosom, the Capitol building and its immediate area, and the feathers of the eagle at the top of the wings. The surfaces are clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions. The CAC sticker indicates that the coin fully merits the grade assigned and is a premium quality piece.

A strike-thru error takes place when a foreign object gets caught between the die and planchet at the time of striking. While sometimes the foreign object is retained, it often falls away, as is the case with the present piece. It appears that a small piece of cloth, from a large piece that was used to clean the dies, was in the striking chamber and got caught between the planchet and die.
 
The original design of Saint-Gaudens double eagle shows a full figure of standing Liberty. She wears a loose, flowing gown that allows her left leg to be exposed as she rests it on a rock. In her right hand she carries a long torch and in her left, an olive branch. Behind her are the rays of a rising sun. To the left of her right foot there is a small Capitol building, and to the right of her left ankle is the date. She is encircled by forty-six stars, one for each state in the Union at the time of issue. The edge is lettered E PLURIBUS UNUM, divided by stars. The reverse shows a large eagle, reminiscent of Gobrechts, flying towards the left over a stylized rising sun. Some of the suns rays touch the opposite rim. IN GOD WE TRUST is on the circular edge of the sun. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc at the top of the coin. Just beneath the legend is the denomination, TWENTY DOLLARS. All of the words in the legends on the reverse are separated by dots.

Despite Charles Barbers tinkering with the design, it has retained its appeal over the years. In fact the gold American Eagle bullion program, first issued in 1986, makes use of the design in a somewhat modified form.
While the grading services do not provide population numbers for error coins, gold errors, especially double eagles, are rare and always in demand by both gold and error collectors even on common dates such as the present piece.