1907 High Relief Double Eagle - Pricing History and Investment Potential

Investing in rare coins can be a rewarding experience. Over the last 25 years, since the boom times of the early 1980s, prices and auction results for rare coins have been steadily rising. However, to become a successful investor in rare coins, some background information (historical and price-wise) will greatly improve your chances to make rare coin investing worth wile. There are many different possibilities, ranging from coins with little extra value over their gold/silver value to ultra-rarities, seldom traded in the public market. One suggestion will be a moderately rare coin with a relatively low-mintage, which is always in demand, and sells easily. Such a coin could be the 1907 high relief double eagle.

The 1907 high relief double eagle is considered by many to be the most beautiful coin ever minted in the United States, perhaps only rivaled by the ultra-high relief of basically the same design, struck in extremely limited numbers for presentation purposes, in the same year. Perhaps this was the reason why the United States Mint chose its obverse in 1986 for bullion gold coins; or in 2009, when ultra high relief restrikes were made for sale to collectors. The high relief mintage was limited, as only 11,250 are said to have been produced, of which approximately 8,000 survive in all grades. This does not make it especially rare; however, its beauty and overall demand has created high prices and a coin which is easily bought and sold in virtually all grades.

Rare coins, like the high relief, are traded on a regular basis. Their pricing is fully independent of ask and demand, but quality plays an important and vital role as well, even more so compared to other commodities. Unlike unique art made by painters like Van Gogh and Picasso, multiple examples of the high relief are offered for sale at the same time. For the buyer, it is important that the example chosen has the premium quality collectors seek, as this will play a very important part in realizing a good profit when the coin is sold. To find those examples, at least a moderate knowledge of rare coins is recommended, as in the end, it could be a key factor in realizing a good investment profit. For the high relief, we recommended browsing this website, and read as much information as is available, both on the internet and in printed resources.

Pricing history also can play a role in determining how potentially rewarding investment in high relief double eagles can be. However, as is often quoted, realizations of the past are no guarantee for the future. Rare coins are dependent on the whole economy, as this can lead to an increase or decrease of the funds available to the investor, and even more so to the collector. This can also have its effect on supply and demand, and in the end, possible profits for the investor.

In the past 50+ years, the price of a 1907 high relief double eagle has been steadily rising, but even this popular coin did not lose value after the boom period of the early 1980s. However, when the prices for an uncirculated high relief, per the Official Guide Book of United States Coins (published annually), are seen, it is obvious that in the past 50 years this coin has been a reasonable rewarding investment:

High Relief Prices

Now, let’s compare the prices of an uncirculated high relief between 1947 to 2009 with the average Dow Jones index for every month for the same period.

Average Dow Jones Index

There is an interesting conclusion that can be derived from these two graphs. Up to the mid 1980s, both the prices of uncirculated high reliefs as well as the Dow Jones index grew slowly, but gradually every year. Since the mid 1980s, both the prices of high reliefs in uncirculated condition as well as the Dow Jones index have been much more fluctuating. When the last twenty years are compared side-by-side, the high relief in uncirculated condition has proven to be a safer investment, with gradual increasing prices. In the mid 1990s, the Dow Jones index proved to turn out a more decent return, but since then has also been much more fluctuating, while the high relief prices have steadily been rising. Perhaps the most saying of it all are the following two graphs, showing average prices of both, for the last 10 years:

Dow Jones Index last 10 years

Another comparison can be seen when the gold prices of the same period are studied. Gold, as all precious metals, is extremely fluctuable in price, and has been traded at relative fixed prices until the mid 1970s. Since then, prices have been fluctuating widely, with especially the last few years seeing very active trading, with the overall price going up. The price of gold is related to the Dow Jones index and the overall state of the economy.

Gold Prices

Needless to say, investing in high reliefs, whether it is a single piece or a large accumulation, can potentially be very rewarding. While the coin market, like all markets, fluctuates, overall prices are much more stable, in both short and long term. If you are interested in investing in high reliefs, browse this website and learn about the history of these enigmatic coins. We also recommend learning at least the basics of coin grading, as selecting premium pieces can potentially be the key factor to investment success. When investing in rare coins, high reliefs or any other rare coins, it would be smart to remember the following basic guidelines: