An American Masterpiece Is Re-Born ! It is often stated within the numismatic community that Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ $20 gold double eagle is the most beautiful gold coin ever minted in the history of the United States. It is certainly among the most beautiful of gold coins minted by any mint at any time in world history. That design, first issued in 1907, was at the front edge of an American coinage renaissance. The dramatic elevation of artistry came at the hands of a President with an appetite for beauty and a sculptor with the talent to deliver it.

President Theodore Roosevelt believed very strongly that the coinage of a society was more than just a tool for commerce but was in fact a reflection of that society’s very identity. Roosevelt was less than impressed with the current designs of American coins and in a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury in 1904 wrote, “I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness.” He concluded it was time for a change. His desire was to create coins that would be the best the United States had ever produced. Roosevelt was especially impressed by the high relief coins of the ancient Greeks and wished to capture that same artistry. The United States had become a world power and he felt our coins should represent that. He selected a man named Augustus Saint-Gaudens to accomplish this monumental challenge.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens was a successful and renowned artist and sculptor at the time. An Irish immigrant, he had studied drawing and art in the United States as well as abroad in both Paris and Rome. Saint-Gaudens had designed Roosevelt’s inaugural medal in 1905 and the President fancied the resulting work. President Roosevelt chose Saint-Gaudens as the man to redesign our nations coins. He charged him with creating new one cent, ten dollar, and twenty dollar designs. The sculptor shared Roosevelt’s vision of what coins could and should be and after some initial reservation accepted the task. Working against his own rapidly declining health, Saint-Gaudens toiled to create a design in high relief which would stand for all time as a monument to American society. He unquestionably succeeded.

As defined by the United States Mint, “On the obverse, Saint-Gaudens shows Liberty, personified by a statuesque woman striding powerfully forward. Liberty’s robe harkens back to our roots as a republic based on the ideals of ancient Greece and Rome. Liberty is leading the way with a torch in her front hand and an olive branch in the back hand. This design underscores that liberty is central to the American spirit, is beautiful and attractive to all, and wherever Liberty goes, inspired by enlightenment, peace follows. The United States Capitol dome is also depicted in the background, meaning that through representative democracy, liberty has been fully achieved in America, strengthening her position to go forth throughout the world.”

Furthermore, “A young eagle flying during a sunrise is depicted on the reverse. This is America, young and strong, in its ascendancy with a bright future before it. The motto, “E PLURIBUS UNUM” is on the edge of the coin, allowing a cleaner design on the obverse and reverse. These stylish elements represented the visual embodiment of America and made it a definitive American coin.”

With the design in place it was time to begin trial strikings. Due to the unprecedented high relief between nine and twelve blows were required utilizing a hydraulic press and 172 tons of pressure. Clearly this was too slow and impractical for mass production and the original design had to be modified to a less demanding version. No exact record exists but it is estimated that between 16 and 22 of the Ultra High Relief $20 Saint-Gaudens double eagles were produced. Saint-Gaudens dream would have to wait over a century to be realized.

A United States Mint Tour De Force

On March 13, 2008 U.S. Mint Director Edmund Moy made an announcement that stunned and excited the numismatic community. The following year, under authority provided by a 1992 law (Public Law 102-390), the Mint would release the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle utilizing cutting edge minting techniques and finally making Augustus Saint-Gaudens classic ultra high relief design a reality that could be owned by all.

The original 1907 coin plasters were digitally mapped and used in the creation of the 2009 coin. The only changes to the design were date change (2009 expressed as MMIX), the inclusion of the motto “In God We Trust”, increasing the number of stars from 46 to 50 to reflect the increased number of states, and a small border to provide a consistent edge.

Collectors got their first look at the coins at the ANA World’s Fair of Money on July 30, 2008 as part of a United States Mint display. The first strike ceremony took place on November 24, 2008 at the West Point Mint with the first coin being struck by the Director of the Mint and placed in the national collection held by the Smithsonian Institute.

The 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle's specifications are as follows:
-1.001 troy ounce (31.109g)
-.9999 fine gold
- 4 mm thick
- 27 mm in diameter
- “Business Strike” finish

The Mint began taking orders on January 22, 2009 at an initial price of $1,189, allowing only one coin per household. Within the first week a reported 40,000 coins had been sold. The spectacular coins were packaged in a mahogany wooden box finished in high gloss-lacquer with a velvet lining on the interior. Also included with each coin was a companion hardcover book detailing the history of the original 1907 UHR Double Eagle and the minting process of the modern version.

Sales continued throughout the year and were concluded on December 31, 2009. Final mintage figures indicate just over 151,000 of the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagles were produced.

The United States Mint released a statement claiming, “The 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin will show the Nation and the world the very best the United States Mint has to offer. The 21st century vision of the United States Mint, combined with technological advances, enabled the United States Mint to realize the previously unattainable goal of making the coin accessible to all Americans.”

Based on our review of these marvelous pieces, we cannot disagree.