1907 $10 Wire Rim MS66 PCGS. CAC....

Description

1907 Wire Rim Indian Eagle, MS66
High-End CAC Example
An Enduring Artistic Achievement

1907 $10 Wire Rim MS66 PCGS. CAC. Ex: Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection. The Wire Rim 1907 Indian eagle represents the first mass-produced coin-form representation of Saint-Gaudens' gold ten dollar designs and employs the softly detailed but bold, high-relief models used to prepare initial trial strikes that were sent to Mint officials and President Roosevelt for approval. The Wire Rim issue was struck in late August, well after stacking problems were identified with the patterns and a decision was made to reduce the design's relief. Saint-Gaudens' Wire Rim design brought the motifs and legends of the artwork directly to the edge of the planchet, thereby reflecting the practices and appearance of ancient Greek coinage and removing all element of "clutter" in the design. Later variants saw a rim added to the dies, followed by a complete reworking of the motifs into a lower relief that would strike well and stack properly. Thus, the coinage of 500 Wire Rim tens in August and another 42 later in the year was not for the purpose of testing the design, as supposed by this coin's classification as a pattern for generations, but was instead apparently in response to a request from Roosevelt in a July 29, 1907 letter to Treasury Secretary Cortelyou:

"As for the high relief coins, have several hundred struck and allow the collectors of the country to obtain specimens as you suggested, none to be issued until the new issue is out. They should be preserved as the work of a great American artist."

The Wire Rim tens were distributed to favored collectors, dealers, Congressmen, Treasury Department officials, and select museums. Quantities were acquired by prominent dealers Thomas Elder and Henry Chapman, who sold them to their buyers over the course of several years. By 1915, 70 pieces remained in government possession as unsold, and these were melted, leaving a net mintage of 472, coins. The finest surviving of these are among the most sought-after ten dollar gold coins known today.

This piece displays a bold strike and luminous, glistening wheat-gold surfaces with exceptional preservation. A loupe fails to reveal notable abrasions, and the coin displays eye appeal that fully upholds its lofty numeric grade. Collectors will be hard-pressed to locate a visually superior coin in MS66, and finer examples of this coveted issue are decidedly rare and inaccessible for most collectors. Population: 23 in 66 (3 in 66+), 7 finer. CAC: 7 in 66, 3 finer (8/22).
Ex: Acquired for the Bass Core Collection by David Calhoun of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation (2000).
From The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection, Part I.(Registry values: N10218)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 268B, PCGS# 8850, Greysheet# 9744)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 16.72 grams
AGW: 0.53oz
Mintage: 500

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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