Featured A Brief Essay on the 1907 High Relief $20 Gold

Most numismatists believe that the 1907 High Relief $20 gold piece is the most beautiful U.S. coin. This piece was the “pet baby” of President Theodore Roosevelt who started the “Renaissance of American Coinage” which extended from 1907 to 1921.

In 1905 President Roosevelt met with Augustus St. Gaudens who was viewed as the greatest American artist of his era. Roosevelt was very dissatisfied with the designs of the coins which were then in circulation and wanted to introduce a series of U.S. coinage designs that would be on a par with America’s emerging greatness. The president asked St. Gaudens to redesign every U.S. coin from the cent to the double eagle. St. Gaudens had more assignments than he could complete, and he was also becoming progressively ill with terminal cancer. Therefore he drew up the designs and assigned an artist, Henry Herring, who worked in the St. Gaudens studio, to execute the models.

St. Gaudens and Roosevelt were aware that they would face bureaucratic problems at the U.S. mint. Chief mint engraver, Charles Barber, had held his office for over 27 years. Barber took a dim view of an interfering president and an outside artist taking his job. This resulted in protracted feuds between mint personnel and the St. Gaudens studio. In my view both sides had their points. Improving the generally dull appearance of the then current U.S. coinage was long overdue, but the coins also had to be economical to produce and acceptable in the world commerce.

After considerable wrangling President Roosevelt got his way … for about month. During November and for a brief period in January 1908 the U.S. mint went on a 24/7 schedule produced a total of 12,367 double eagles in high relief. The coins were stuck on a medal press, and it took from three blows from the dies to bring up the design. The coins were made in batches of 1,000 because they had to be made with the same set of dies to avoid doubling of the devices. Between each strike, the planchets had to be annealed to soften them for the next strike. The resulting coins were very beautiful but also very impractical. After this brief run, Roosevelt agreed that the High Relief coins were not practical, and the lower relief coins took their place.

The coin pictured above is a superb example of the 1907 High Relief $20 coin. It is virtually mark free surfaces, and the soft satiny luster that typical of this piece. I have called these coins “The most expensive “common” coin in the U.S. series. More than half of the original mintage survives, but most any example of the coin is priced well within 5 figures because of demand.

Here is an example of the "low relief" $20 gold piece which became the standard issued until the series ended in 1933. The only modification was the addition of "In God We Trust" on the reverse, above the sun, in mid 1908.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I thoroughly enjoy your posts.

 

Thank you for the article! Always interesting to read your informative posts.

 

Nice article....has anybody purchased one at FUN ? As I might go, finance$$$ depending, I may sell other stuff and take the plunge but I am not sure I want to buy one in my budget range since it means going down alot in quality (probably XF-AU).

 

I purchased the NGC MS-65 High Relief I displayed above at a Summer FUN Show. Finding a 1907 High Relief $20 is never hard at a major show. I have called that coin the most expensive common coin in the U.S. series. The hard part is paying for it.

 

I got one for my type set.
It's a Wire Rim in NGC AU-50.
That was plenty good enough for me.

 

Man, those high relief coins are just so beautiful.

Kinda makes you wonder what the 1921 Peace would have looked like if they really struck them at the pressure they needed.

 

Even though I don't collect US coins now, the 1907 HR is one of my faves

 

I only have to do 6 things later today to get the $$$ for my own Saint HR....

I'll let ya know if I pick the 6 correct numbers to Saturday's MegaMillions drawing !

 

You nailed it John.....that 65 you have has go to be in the $30,000 range no matter where you look.

I remember a few years ago I think the price was still closer to $20,000 or so.

I might have to look AU58 or lower.

 

Isn't the FUN show usually in January and/or Winter ? Or maybe years ago it was held in the summer ?

 

The Winter FUN show is always held during the first full week in January. It's going to be in Orlando for at least the next few years.

 

FUN now has 2 shows, and has for quite a few years now. The Winter FUN in January is the big one, and then they have a Summer FUN in July that is still quite big but not as big. You know, so you can go to a coin show while you're already in town on summer vacation going to Disney.

 

Coin show or Disney? No brainer, Coin show.....would probably cost less and I'd have something to show for it afterward.

 

I’d rather spend my $$$$ on something actually rare. Or a high-end Ancient Greek coin with more-beautiful artistry.

 

I'm leaning to going to January FUN this year. I live in the NY area so I'll notice the increase in temperature at a minimum.

 

I distinctly remember it snowing one year at FUN. So, I wouldn't guarantee that

 

The lines to attractions at Disney are incredible these days. We have limited annual passes, it’s hard get on any thing that’s popular unless you are on the priority line. Disney is a victim of its own success.

 

Well, there goes the market for these, I guess.