BUY AND SELL COINS SAFELY AND WITH CONFIDENCE. Ideas, Gifts for Despite a mintage of almost 1.8million pieces of the 1929 double eagle, it is estimated that fewer than 2,000 exist today, with all the rest melted by the government in the late 1930s. of Gold Price Alert. By continuing with the design in a relief that was not coinable, Saint-Gaudens lost his best chance to explore the limits of artistry on circulation coinage. [c] Saint-Gaudens felt he could not place a third line of text on the reverse without unbalancing the composition, and the obverse lacked room for the motto, so it was placed on the edge.[22]. [b] Roosevelt suggested that the new designs could be in high relief, with a high rim to protect them. Coins, Precious Todays Buy and Sell Price for The St Gaudens Double Eagle $20 gold coin. [2], Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens's first association with the Mint was in 1891, when he served on a committee judging entries for the new silver coinage. [37], On November 18, the impatient Roosevelt directed that the second set of dies be used to strike coins, directly ordering the Mint to "begin the new issue, even if it takes you all day to strike one piece! The double eagle, due to its very high face value, equivalent to several hundred dollars today, did not widely circulate, but was the coin most often used for large international transactions, in which settlement was to be in gold. Coins, Tours & The coin was minted, primarily for use in international trade, until 1933. Your browser is out of date. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to beautify American coinage, and proposed Saint-Gaudens as an artist capable of the task. It could be all these and beyond, including the extremely low number of proof Saint-Gaudens double eagles struck. However, in the early 1940s specimens began to appear in the numismatic marketplace. Disregarding 1933 coin and the pricy 1907 varieties, collectors seeking this series must still contend with such low mintage key dates as 1913-S (34,000 mintage), 1914 (95,230 mintage), 1915 (152,050 mintage), 1930-S (74,000 mintage) and 1931-D (106,500 mintage). Stay Informed of Our Special Offers. [24] At that time, the Mint was intensely busy generating designs for new coinage for Cuba and the Philippines, and Barber was reluctant to waste time on what he considered an experimental piece which would never be coined for circulation. Copyright 2023 My Coin Guides. Its third attempt reduced the relief, and was struck in 34-mm version with Roman numerals. [24] Approximately 24pieces were struck as patterns; even though the Mint used a medal press, set for maximum pressure, it still took up to nine strokes of the press to fully bring out the design. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! The 1933 Saint-Gaudens double eagle was sold July 30, 2002, in New York City in a one-lot auction conducted by Sotheby's in conjunction with Stack's for $7.59 million plus $20. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful of U.S. coins. Philadelphia Mint specimens lack mint mark. The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is a twenty- dollar gold coin, or double eagle, produced by the United States Mint from 1907 to 1933. The coin is named after its designer, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed the obverse and reverse. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. She steps confidently forward with the U.S. Capitol building and the rays of the sun behind her. [19] On the coin, Liberty holds a torch in one hand, representing enlightenment; an olive branch in the other, a symbol of peace. Shaw did not immediately reply, but instead met with Roosevelt, who wrote that there was no objection to have the coins, many of which would be stored in bank vaults and not circulated, "as artistic as the Greeks could desire". [44], The only major variety of the series occurred in 1909, an overdate in which an 8 shows under the final nine in the date. St. Gaudens mark appears on the obverse of the coin under the date. & Facilities, Shop All [54] What became of the Farouk specimen after his death is unclear, but the coin resurfaced in the late 1990s. In sculpture, the term "high relief" is rather imprecise, but is typically used to describe reliefs where 50% or more of the notional volume of the subject projects from the background, something that almost never happens in coins. Mint officials could find no record of any issuance of the coins, and decided those in private hands must have been obtained illegally. Territories quarter dollars, Buy & Sell Coins Online at the Coin World Marketplace. These "checker" pieces were destroyed (except two placed in the Mint's coin collection) when it was discovered that the consent of Congress was needed to change the diameter of any coin. PRICE IMPROVEMENT! Golden Eagle Coins works best with JavaScript enabled. [33] Barber wrote to Preston, "Upon examination it was found that the relief of the models was so great that it would be a waste of time to make reductions for coinage, as it would be quite impossible to coin when the dies are made. Web1910D $20 Gold Saint Gaudens Double Eagle Coin MS63 Weight 0.9675 oz . On March 6, however, the newly inaugurated president, Franklin Roosevelt, had ordered the Treasury not to pay out any gold, and ordered that banks holding gold transmit it to their Federal Reserve bank. The work was subject to considerable delays, due to Saint-Gaudens's declining health and difficulties because of the high relief of his design. Coins were one of the most visible, tangible representations of a country. It eagerly continues the tradition of embodying Americas spirit and identity through its coins and medals. In August 1907, Roosevelt nominated San Francisco Mint Superintendent Frank Leach as Director of the Mint; he took office on November 1, 1907. Although perhaps not reflected in their mintage figures, 1931 and 1932 are also difficult dates to obtain. User Agreement. "[12], In May 1906, Saint-Gaudens wrote to Secretary Shaw, asking if there was any objection to having the date in Roman numerals. Yeoman in his A Guide Book of United States Coins, many consider the Saint-Gaudens double eagles the most beautiful of U.S. Collectors absolutely adore proof Saint-Gaudens double eagles. He thought the coins of that era were unattractive and wanted them to instead embody our national identity and growing preeminence on the world stage. [47] The onset of the Depression in 1929 did not halt the minting of double eagles, but the coins were for the most part held in Treasury vaults, and few were released. Liberty is leading the way with a torch in her front hand and an olive branch in the back hand. [45] There was a public outcry about the omission of the motto, and what Breen describes as an "outraged and furious" Congress ordered the motto to appear. Theres no scientific study, poll, or data to support this claim, but its likely that if most American coin collectors were given the choice to own just one pre-1933 gold coin, they would choose the iconic Saint-Gaudens double eagle. A total of 361,667of the revised design were produced by the Mint in 1907; the "Low Relief" coins were released into circulation at the end of December 1907. Actual Gold Content: .9675 troy ounce Population of {$Population} coins at this grade level with {$GradedHigher} graded higher. Saint-Gaudens based his design on the female figure he had designed in creating New York City's monument to General William Tecumseh Sherman,[19] but the sculptor's ultimate inspiration was the Nike of Samothrace. [9], In November 1905, Roosevelt wrote to Saint-Gaudens to enquire how the gold coinage was progressing. Another popular coin in the series is the 1909/8 overdate. The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY DOLLARS span across the top of the coin. NGC encapsulation guarantees the coins MS-66 condition. $2,093.99 . Our quotes come directly from the commodities exchange and are updated in real-time. This is not the case for the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle series. President Teddy Warm, honey-gold toning throughout with dynamic luster and only the typical bag marks for the issue. For the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle series: Proof and Uncirculated Gold Buffalo Mintage. The Denver Mint would not strike Double Eagles in 1928, The design for the obverse of the coin is reproduced from the Saint Gaudens Gold Double Eagle, designed by Augustus Saint Gaudens. [53] In 1944, a journalist enquired of the Mint regarding the 1933 double eagles. [57], In 2004, 10specimens of the 1933 double eagle were submitted to the Mint for authentication by the heirs of a Philadelphia jeweler who may have been involved in obtaining them from the Mint in 1933. Many of the great rarities of the Saint-Gaudens series stem from its final years. Whether you're new to Precious Metals, or just new to APMEX, we're glad you are here. WebThe Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle has a face value of $20 USD, weighs 33.431 grams and measures 34.1 millimeters in diameter. Site, Coin Click here to read what they think of us as well as post a comment of your own. "[14] However, Roosevelt overruled Shaw, and the sculptor proceeded with the use of Roman numerals. Is it the design? In 1905, President Roosevelt personally invited Saint-Gaudens to redesign American coinage, specifically U.S. gold pieces. The solicitation of an "outside" engraver did not sit well with the Mint's engraving staff, including Barber. Please call our Purchasing team at (800) 514-6318 to speak to one of our representatives or learn more about How to Sell Gold to APMEX. The ownership for these coins have been illegal since 1933. In 1996 government agents seized another 1933 double eagle from a British coin dealer entering the United States. On the obverse, Saint-Gaudens shows Liberty, personified by a statuesque woman striding powerfully forward. Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window "[29], A second set of dies was produced with the relief reduced somewhat, but still proved too high relief for practical coining, requiring three strokes of the press to fully bring out the design. This 1908 $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle has been certified as MS-66 by NGC, one of the top two coin grading services. [51], Prominent coin dealer and numismatic writer Q. David Bowers suggests that despite the ban on paying out gold, examples of the 1933 double eagle could have been obtained legally from Mint Cashier Powell in an exchange for earlier double eagles. When brought to New York for sale to a prospective buyer, it was seized by U.S. authorities. Population of {$Population} coins at this grade level with {$GradedHigher} graded higher. The reverse is a side view of a flying eagle, seen slightly from below, with a rising Sun and its rays behind it, complementing the obverse design. Web1914 $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle MS-65 NGC(Green Label) | Largest selection & fast free shipping on orders $199+. The observe depicts Lady Liberty holding a staff and an olive branch as she walks from the sun. The mintmark appears above the date between the second and third numbers. 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