NNP Encyclopedia data is provided in cooperation with Whitman Brands, based on catalog data organized by the Greysheet Identification System (GSID).
Entry Details
PCGS Number: 9133 Coin Date: Saint Gaudens Gold Double Eagle Denomination (Short): $20 Denomination (Long): $20 Gold Variety: High Relief Variety 2: 1907 Desg: MS Composition: 90% gold; 10% copper Mintage: 12,367 Strike Type: Business Coinage Type: Twenty Dollar Gold Double Eagle Coinage Years: 1907-1908 Mint Location: Philadelphia Diameter: 34 Fineness: 0.9 Weight (Grams): 33.436 Weight (Ounces): 1.075 Designer: Augustus Saint-Gaudens Edge: Lettered Obverse Description: Liberty is portrayed standing on a rock, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The word LIBERTY appears on the top periphery surrounded by stars. The date is stamped on the right side of the coin, just above the rock. Reverse Description: A crescent sun appears at the bottom as if rising on the horizon with long rays extending to the top of the coin. A flying eagle covers the central portion, atop the rays. The words UNITED STATES oF AMERICA, TWENTY DOLLARS appear on the top periphery. General Notes: The 1907 high-relief $20 Saint-Gaudens' gold double eagle is one of the most singularly popular coins the United States has ever made. Featuring Augustus Saint-Gaudens' beautiful striding Liberty and flying eagle designs in high-relief format as the renowned artist originally intended, the 1907 high-relief Saint-Gaudens' coins are treasured by collectors.
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The 1907 high-relief Saint-Gaudens' double eagles include the rare 1907 wire rim and 1907 flat rim double eagles. The wire rim and flat rim are quite distinguishable from each other, with the former indicated by a very narrow, wire-like ridge encircling the entire extreme outer periphery of the coin. The flat rim, meanwhile, shows a broad, flattish rim. These edge varieties were not necessarily intentional but rather a result of the striking process. The wire rim was inadvertently created due to a looser fit within the coin's retaining collar, with pressure creating a tiny ridge on the edges of the finished coins with the repeated strikes each piece saw.
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The high-relief double eagles were struck three to five times apiece, owing to the incredible detail of these coins. Yet that also illustrates why the high-relief Saints were impractical to produce for circulation. While the 1907 high-relief Saint-Gaudens' double eagles have low mintages, many of these pieces were saved by collectors and thus are widely available in the marketplace. The wire rim double eagles are about twice to three times more common than the flat rim pieces. PCGS #: 9133
