Heritage World Coin Auctions
FUN Signature US Coin Sale 1251 4-6 & 8-9 Jan 2017
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High Relief Double Eagles
1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim, MS64 PCGS. Augustus Saint-Gaudens High-Relief double eagle is widely acknowledged as the most beautiful regular-issue U.S. coin design. From a limited mintage of approximately 12,367 pieces (the reported mintage varies slightly, from one source to another), the coins were produced amid much controversy and infighting between Chief Engraver Charles Barber and the famous sculptor who created the design at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt. The high relief of the design made it necessary to strike each coin three times to bring up sufficient detail for coining, with the planchet annealed between each blow of the 150-ton medal press. When production began it took an average of 12 minutes to strike each coin. This was clearly unacceptable in the modern era of high-speed, high-volume coinage, but President Roosevelt insisted on striking a sufficient number of the coins to demonstrate the iconic design to the general public. Once that goal was accomplished, the relief of the design was lowered enough to allow each coin to be struck with just one blow from the coin press, and the date was changed from Roman to Arabic numerals for regular-issue production. The High Relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles remain a testament to Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens' commitment to beautify American coinage to a level not seen since ancient Greece. This Flat Rim example has beautiful, bright satiny luster and even yellow-gold color. Only a couple of small contact marks in the obverse fields keep this piece from an even higher grade.
Ex: New York Signature (Heritage, 7/2002), lot 9767.
1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim, MS64 PCGS. Augustus Saint-Gaudens High-Relief double eagle is widely acknowledged as the most beautiful regular-issue U.S. coin design. From a limited mintage of approximately 12,367 pieces (the reported mintage varies slightly, from one source to another), the coins were produced amid much controversy and infighting between Chief Engraver Charles Barber and the famous sculptor who created the design at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt. The high relief of the design made it necessary to strike each coin three times to bring up sufficient detail for coining, with the planchet annealed between each blow of the 150-ton medal press. When production began it took an average of 12 minutes to strike each coin. This was clearly unacceptable in the modern era of high-speed, high-volume coinage, but President Roosevelt insisted on striking a sufficient number of the coins to demonstrate the iconic design to the general public. Once that goal was accomplished, the relief of the design was lowered enough to allow each coin to be struck with just one blow from the coin press, and the date was changed from Roman to Arabic numerals for regular-issue production. The High Relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles remain a testament to Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens' commitment to beautify American coinage to a level not seen since ancient Greece. This Flat Rim example has beautiful, bright satiny luster and even yellow-gold color. Only a couple of small contact marks in the obverse fields keep this piece from an even higher grade.
Ex: New York Signature (Heritage, 7/2002), lot 9767.