Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature US Coin Sale 1258 2-6 Aug 2017
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High Relief Double Eagles
1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 PCGS. The literature on Augustus Saint-Gaudens makes frequent mention of the assistants that passed through his studio. There were dozens over the years, but we only hear of a handful, the ones who went on to greatness in their own name. Saint-Gaudens' attitude toward many of these assistants was a curious mix of dismissiveness and solicitude, depending on who the assistant was and his attitude toward his or her artistic ability. In his autobiography, he wrote:
"It is a great thing to have a lot of people developing things which you can destroy after a while if you want to."
Many of these assistants did have their work destroyed; thus relegating them to the dustbin of history. Only a few are well known to later-day numismatists, names such as James and Laura Fraser, and Adolph Weinman. One in particular, Henry Hering, was such a trusted assistant that he had almost complete control of dealings with the Mint regarding the ten and twenty dollar coins of 1907. It was Hering that brought the High Relief twenty from the impractical relief of the Ultra High Relief pieces to the more manageable, but still time-consuming High Relief twenties, struck from the first of September through the end of December 1907. This High Relief is a splendid example of Henry Hering's influence on the Mint and especially Charles Barber. The relief of the coin is close to that of an Ultra, but immanently more strikeable. The surfaces seen here have the usual satiny finish, but display more color than normally encountered. There are no singular contact marks of note on either side.
HID02901242017
1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 PCGS. The literature on Augustus Saint-Gaudens makes frequent mention of the assistants that passed through his studio. There were dozens over the years, but we only hear of a handful, the ones who went on to greatness in their own name. Saint-Gaudens' attitude toward many of these assistants was a curious mix of dismissiveness and solicitude, depending on who the assistant was and his attitude toward his or her artistic ability. In his autobiography, he wrote:
"It is a great thing to have a lot of people developing things which you can destroy after a while if you want to."
Many of these assistants did have their work destroyed; thus relegating them to the dustbin of history. Only a few are well known to later-day numismatists, names such as James and Laura Fraser, and Adolph Weinman. One in particular, Henry Hering, was such a trusted assistant that he had almost complete control of dealings with the Mint regarding the ten and twenty dollar coins of 1907. It was Hering that brought the High Relief twenty from the impractical relief of the Ultra High Relief pieces to the more manageable, but still time-consuming High Relief twenties, struck from the first of September through the end of December 1907. This High Relief is a splendid example of Henry Hering's influence on the Mint and especially Charles Barber. The relief of the coin is close to that of an Ultra, but immanently more strikeable. The surfaces seen here have the usual satiny finish, but display more color than normally encountered. There are no singular contact marks of note on either side.
HID02901242017