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St. Gaudens Gold Coins

St. Gaudens Gold Coins

The Saint Gaudens $20 gold piece is considered by many to be a foundational coin that should be a part of every collection. The $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle was first minted in 1907 and has been long considered one of the most beautiful coins in the world, designed as the last work of a famous dying artist, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The coin’s rich provenance, innovative design, and historical significance makes the St Gaudens gold coin a top pick in many numismatic collections. Today, surviving Saint Gaudens tend to be highly desirable and one of the most popular gold coins to collect. Keep reading to learn more about the inception of this iconic U.S gold coin and to browse our selection of beautiful Gold Saint Gaudens.

The History of the Saint Gaudens $20 Gold Piece

The Saint Gaudens $20 gold piece was the final masterpiece of the world-renown sculpture, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The $20 St. Gaudens Double Eagle was a result of an unlikely collaboration between a U.S President and a famous dying artisan. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt felt that United States coins are symbols of our Nation’s pride and America’s spirit. The longevity of coins outlives us all and Roosevelt wanted to redesign U.S. coinage to reflect America’s premier world status for future generations to admire for centuries to come. President Roosevelt got this idea while touring the Smithsonian and admiring the ancient Greek high-relief coinage of Alexander the Great, which is a living testament to the classic Greek civilization, which survived through the ages to tell the story of a Great Man.

By 1905, America had become the most powerful nation in the world, and Roosevelt wanted our coinage to represent America’s pre-eminent position. As President, he made the decision to re-design the panorama of U.S. coins into works of precious metal art. Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was a preeminent American Artist and Sculptor, who Roosevelt first met in 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition where Saint-Gaudens had already designed medals for the Mint. Roosevelt shared his vision with Saint-Gaudens who eagerly joined his quest to design the finest coinage in the world. He was offered $5,000 to redesign all U.S. coin denominations into monetary works of art that would represent the United States and become a new standard for the finest coins on earth. Saint-Gaudens was terminally ill with cancer, yet he began his last artistic quest to re-design America’s coinage, beginning with the obverse of the $10 Eagle and $20 both sides of the $20 double eagle. Saint-Gaudens promised Roosevelt, that the coin would be made a “living thing.”

Sadly, on August 3, 1907, Augustus Saint-Gaudens succumbed to his illness and died at his famous artists' retreat in Cornish, New Hampshire at 59 years old. He was able to hold a sample of his gold $10 eagle before he died, but never was able to see his beloved Lady Liberty struck in gold. Fortunately, thanks to him, many generations can experience one of the most beautiful coins in the world. When Roosevelt saw the new masterpiece, he knew Saint-Gaudens created a coin for the ages…. but what he didn’t know, was that just 26 years later, in 1933, his cousin, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, would confiscate all privately-owned gold during the height of the Great Depression to help the economy rebound. Unfortunately, many of the beautiful gold coins would be melted into plain gold bars.

The Design of the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle

When President Theodore Roosevelt asked sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to help lead the charge in reshaping American coinage, Saint-Gaudens developed the iconic and beautiful design that is arguably the most gorgeous American coin ever minted. Despite the fact that Saint-Gaudens would die due to cancer, it was left to his assistant, Henry Hering, to finish, and towards the end of 1907, the $20 gold double eagle coin entered circulation.

The $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Reverse Design

The Saint Gaudens Eagle reverse design is one of the most remarkable resemblance of the nation’s official emblem, the American Eagle, to ever grace a U. S. coin. The majestic eagle is in mid-flight with its powerful wings soaring above the sun, whose rays shine in the background. The words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” are in a semicircular close to the rim, with “TWENTY DOLLARS” inscribed below. The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” is beneath the eagle, just above the sun.

The reverse design of the $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin.

The reverse design of the $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin.

The $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Obverse Design

The obverse features Lady Liberty’s full-length figure striding forward confidently away from the rays of the rising sun and the nation’s capital dome, with her hair and robe flowing freely in the breeze. Her right holds the touch of freedom to light the way, while she holds an olive branch in her left hand, signifying peace. Surrounded by 50 stars to represent the 50 United States with the inscription “LIBERTY” at the top and both the date of issue and mint mark in the lower right.

The obverse design of the $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin.

The obverse design of the $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin.

When and Why Was The Motto Removed?

The motto was omitted on the 1907 and first half of the 1908 issues, due to controversy. Roosevelt felt that evoking the name of God on coins was blasphemy, because they could be used for illegal and sinful endeavors. He believed that God’s name belonged in houses of worship, not in casinos, bordellos, and saloons. However, there was a public outcry and God-fearing members of Congress mandated the addition of the motto mid-year for the 1908 issue. The motto was added just above the rising sun, below the eagle, where it remained until the end of the series in 1933.

a 1908-P $20 Saint-Gaudens that was struck at the Philadelphia Mint without the famous motto on its surface

a 1908-P $20 Saint-Gaudens that was struck at the Philadelphia Mint without the famous motto on its surface

Collecting St. Gaudens Double Eagles

Collecting St. Gaudens Double Eagle gold coins is a rather ambitious endeavor. When first minted in 1907, the original design was struck in high relief; however, roughly 11,250 of these coins were struck before the design was modified to allow for a shallow format production on high-speed coinage presses. Noted and recognized by their MCMVII Roman numeral design, the high relief pieces are extremely scarce today, and it is estimated that there are anywhere between 2,000 - 3,000 still in existence, making the demand for them quite high.

Among the pre-1933 St. Gaudens Double Eagles, there are a number of rare issues sought out by collectors and numismatists, particularly ones in the 1920s. For example, the 1927-D is rather difficult to acquire. Despite the fact that 180,000 were minted, fewer than a dozen are in existence due to the fact that the rest were not released and melted.

All St. Gaudens issued after 1928 are considered rarities, and with the last year of issue in 1933, there is a rather controversial history. Like the 1927-D version, the 1933 Double Eagle had 445,000 in production; the vast majority of these coins were melted. The U.S. government released a statement that no 1933 $20 pieces had been officially released and that any that were held by collectors was done so illegally.

One exception to this illegal status was a 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle that was sold in the collection of King Farouk, who was King of Egypt. This coin was scheduled to be auctioned in 1953 after the assets of the king were seized by the Egyptian government. In 2002, it sold for $7,590,020. As of today, this year of issue has continued to make record auction prices and has currently been sold in Mint State 65 condition for $18,872,250.

With an updated Roman numeral and an additional four stars to represent the now fifty states that didn’t exist in 1907, the U.S. Mint resurrected this Double Eagle Gold Coin in 2009 in an Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin, a coin that could not be realized with the technology of 1907 and one that promised to fulfill the vision of Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

How Much Gold Is in a St. Gaudens $20?

From 1907 to 1933, the St. Gaudens contained 90% gold and 10% copper and had .9675 troy ounces of gold. In the resurrected design in 2009, this iconic ultra-high relief redesign contains one troy ounce of 99.99% pure 24-karat gold.

Purchasing St. Gaudens Gold Coins With GovMint.com

When buying these legendary gold coins from GovMint.com we can ensure exceptional quality and service. Having been an industry leader for over 30 years, we strive to be a leader when it comes to coin authority. Our A+ BBB rating and partnerships with both NGC and PCGS ensure that this is not just a hobby for us but rather a professional endeavor in our field, giving collectors what they need and are looking for. With free shipping on approved domestic orders over $149, you can call our customer service to ensure the safe, reliable deliverability of your Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle purchase.