Saint Gaudens Double Eagle
The Saint Gaudens Double Eagle is an excellent means of investing in rare gold coins and an exceptional piece of American art and history. Augustus Saint Gaudens was a famous American sculptor whom President Theodore Roosevelt asked to redesign American coinage in the early 20th century.
The original high relief design by Saint Gaudens was a work of art but did not stack well and took eleven strikes at the mint to properly produce the detail required. Just over 12,000 coins were minted in 1907 and eventually the US mint converted to a “low relief” version that stacked better at the bank and took less work to produce. As is typical with such changes in minting procedures and coin detail, the small number of coins minted made the originals very valuable with exceptionally fine specimens reportedly being sold for around half a million dollars each.
The Saint Gaudens double eagle had a number of design changes such as the addition of two more stars from 46 to 48 when New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The coin was minted until 1933. However, in January of 2009 the US mint released a Saint Gaudens double eagle again, using the Saint Gaudens’ original design. Even the date harkens back to Saint Gaudens’ use of Roman numerals and it is dated MMIX! The collector’s coin is one ounce of 24 carat gold.
This beautiful gold coin is not only an excellent way to hold gold bullion but it is also a piece of American history, whether you purchase the recently minted version or a hundred year old collector’s treasure. As is always important purchasing rare coins, deal with a reputable dealer such as Rare-Coin.org for assurance of quality and accurate pricing.
Shawn Penny
Senior Staff Writer - Rare-Coin.org
