2023-W $100 American Liberty High Relief Gold Proof – PF70 Ultra Cameo

Perseverance in Gold

The 2023-W American Liberty Proof reframes Liberty through one of the West’s toughest survivors: the bristlecone pine—a species that can live for millennia and thrive where almost nothing else will. Struck at West Point in one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold (30.61 mm, reeded edge), this high-relief proof uses mirror fields and deep frost to create the dramatic Ultra Cameo that collectors prize in top grade. 

Design & Symbolism

Obverse. A gnarled bristlecone pine—etched with time, bent by wind, still standing—embodies Liberty’s perseverance rather than mere ornament. Designed by Elana Hagler (AIP) and sculpted by Chief Engraver Joseph Menna, the obverse carries LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 2023. 

Reverse. A young bald eagle pauses on a rocky outcrop just before flight—Liberty protected and ready to rise. The reverse was designed and sculpted by John P. McGraw; inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1 OZ., .9999 FINE GOLD, $100, and E PLURIBUS UNUM. 

Mintage, Specs & Issue

The coin was released August 10, 2023 with a maximum mintage of 12,500. Specs: denomination $100, proof finish, 99.99% gold, 1.0000 troy oz (31.108 g), 30.61 mm diameter. The $100 face value is the standard for the American Liberty gold series. (Many retailers also highlight it as the highest denomination used on a U.S. gold coin.) 

Why PF70 Matters

High-relief proofs push metal to greater height, increasing the risk of minute chatter in the mirrored fields and frost breaks on the highest points. PF70 Ultra Cameo certifies flawless surfaces under 5× magnification—no ticks in the open fields around the tree’s trunk and roots, no frost disruptions on the eagle’s wing or beak, no haze or planchet residue. In a mintage already capped at 12,500, the PF70 subset forms an elite fraction sought by registry competitors. 

Collector Note: Narrative Value

The bristlecone choice is not merely aesthetic; it reframes Liberty as endurance after trial—the first life to return after “cataclysmic changes,” the will to persist when conditions are hostile. Paired with a juvenile eagle ready to launch, the coin presents Liberty as both tested and ascending—a story modern collectors immediately understand. 

Quick Stats

• Mint/Mark: West Point / W

• Composition/Weight: 99.99% Au, 1.0000 oz (31.108 g)

• Diameter/Edge: 30.61 mm, reeded

• Finish: High-Relief Proof

• Face Value: $100

• Max Mintage: 12,500

• Design Credits: Obv. Hagler / Menna; Rev. McGraw (design & sculpt) 

Placement in a “Modern Masterpieces” Collection

Conceptually bold, artist-credited, low-mintage, technically demanding in PF70—this issue checks every box for a 21st-century masterpiece. For readers building a modern Liberty narrative (2015–present), the 2023 bristlecone is the program’s clearest statement of resilience as Liberty—and a natural keystone alongside the 2021 mustang chapter.