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Home / All Coins / 2013 December 5 - 8 US Coins Signature Auction - Houston Auction #1192 / Lot #3912
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    LOT #3912  | 
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    1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC....

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    • High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC....
    • High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC....
    • High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC....
    • High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC....
    High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC.... High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC.... High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC.... High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC.... High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC.... High Relief Double Eagles, 1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC.... View More >
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    Description

    1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS65
    Prized High Relief Design
    Popular Wire Rim Type

    1907 $20 High Relief, Wire Rim MS65 NGC. From a limited mintage of 12,367 pieces, the 1907 High Relief Saint-Gaudens double eagle is considered to be the most beautiful regular-issue U.S. coin design by most numismatists. Unfortunately, the high relief of the design made striking the issue extremely difficult and time consuming. It required three blows from the 150-ton medal press to bring up the design features, with annealing between each blow. The average time to complete this process was 12 minutes per coin, clearly impractical for high volume modern coinage operations. After the small mintage of High Relief twenties was achieved, President Theodore Roosevelt felt vindicated in his desire to produce a modern U.S. coin that could rival the Greek coins of antiquity for aesthetic appeal and consented to having the design modified and the relief lowered to produce a more practical coin.

    One unintended consequence of the complicated production process was that most coins had a high wire rim, or fin, around the edges of the coin, caused by metal extruding between the collar and the die during the repeated strikes from the press. This feature is seen on about 75% of the surviving population and it was considered detrimental at the time of issue because it made stacking the coins difficult. The dimensions and milling of the planchets were adjusted to eliminate the rim on later deliveries, but most early strikes, including the present coin, show the prominent rim. Over time, collectors have come to prize the Wire Rim type for its unique aesthetic appeal.

    The present coin is a delightful Gem, with sharply detailed design elements and vibrant satiny mint luster. Swirling die polish lines are evident in the fields and the well-preserved reddish-gold surfaces show only minor signs of contact. Extraordinary eye appeal complements the high technical grade. NGC has graded 32 numerically finer examples (10/13).(Registry values: N7079)

    Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26F2, PCGS# 9135)

    Weight: 33.44 grams

    Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

    Learn more at the Newman Numismatic Portal at Washington University in St. Louis.

    Auction Info

    Auction Dates
    December, 2013
    5th-8th Thursday-Sunday
    Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 14
    Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
    Page Views: 1,907

    Buyer's Premium per Lot:
    17.5% of the successful bid (minimum $14) per lot.

    Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles as Illustrated by the Phillip H. Morse and Steven Duckor Collections
    Revised Edition by Roger Burdette, and edited by James L. Halperin and Mark Van Winkle

    Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles is an issue-by-issue examination of this artistically inspired series of gold coins. Each date and mintmark is reviewed with up-to-date information, much of which has never been previously published. The book is based on two extraordinary collections: The Phillip H. Morse Collection and the Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor Collection.

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