Featured A Brief History of the 1907 High Relief Double Eagle

I read this thread a while back and mentioned my 2009 Gold Coin which made me think about the 1907. What's the best source for information about the 1907. I know the Red Book has information about it, but the Red Book is out of date the day the are released. Are there any sources that give details about the 1907, i.e., the number of 1907 coins that were graded, how many that are graded that are Proof 70, 69, 68, etc. and how many were graded by each of the TPG's. Also, where all of the 1907's are displayed, i.e., Smithsonian, etc. For those of us that are retired, disabled, or have too much time on our hands, the information about the 1907 might be interesting. Some of us may never have a chance to look at a 1907.
Sorry for rattling on, but, I for one, would be interested.

 

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You may want to start here:
https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explor...-pscid-70/1907-high-relief-20-ms-coinid-19135

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1907-20-high-relief-wire-edge/9135

 

Sorry for the interruption on the 1907. I can't afford one. WOW! Was I shocked at the price of the 1907. I do have a question tho. Since I can't afford a 1907, is $2,500 - $2,800 too much for a pre 1933 Saint-Gaudens twenty dollar MS 63 gold coin? I see some slabbed on ebay. Any idea of which coin would be looked at better, slabbed by NGC or PCGS? I'm 73 and when I buy gold, it will be kept. Thanks to all of you for all you do for us.

 

For the 1907 High Relief, there's some threads here at CT and also a thread on Roger Burdette's fantastic SAINT-GAUDENS DOUBLE EAGLE book which is THE BIBLE on Saints:

https://www.ngccoin.com/boards/topi...es-saint-gaudens-double-eagles-book/#comments

JohnMilton has another thread here at CT on 1907 High Reliefs. But the section on 1907 HR's in the book was close to 30-40 pages as I recall, almost a book itself.

You can also get information on the more expensive 1907 High Reliefs sold on the Heritage website. Just go to past sales and read the information that often showed up in catalogs (and also in Roger's book).

That information is on the PCGS and NGC website.

Great stuff over on the Heritage archives.

 

It IS a pricey coin, unfortunately. We've discussed why the price is so "high" considering there are thousands available. Clearly, many non-collectors hold them and also many people inherited them and may not even know what they have (or do, but it remains their only coin they own).

You can always look into the AUs for a cheaper coin. You can get an AU-58 for just over $10K and if you want to go down to AU-53 you can probably get one for $7,500. I'm saving up myself right now for a 58 and hope I can get it next year at FUN for just under $10K.

First, always check the prices against COMPLETED sales at Ebay and also the Heritage and Great Collections archives.

Second, no.... for $2,500 you should be able to buy an MS-65 common Saint that will look very nice. If you are happy with MS-63 condition, you can probably buy one that is a bit rarer than a 1924, 1927, 1928, or 1923-D.

Jim, I have a 1927, 1924, and bought an MS66 1923-D last year at FUN. Happy to help you.....be patient and don't rush but if you are willing to spend $2,500 you can definitely buy a very nice Saint-Gaudens.

 

Thank you for the information. Now I have to go to my Comptroller to see if $2,500 is in the budget. I wish I could go to the Fun Convention or any other convention. What's the best source to find where shows will be this year, hoping that there will be conventions this year. Please keep me posted about conventions this year in case I miss them. I live in a small town in South-Eastern North Carolina and travel will be limited.

 

Most shows since last March have been cancelled.

You need to check their websites going forward. As vaccinations increase, shows should return. I might shoot for Whitman Baltimore in November. I'll wait for FUN January 2022 to happen, no interest in Summer FUN 2021 even if they somehow manage to get it in.

I probably went past you on the train last year down to FUN !!

I'm sure the Coin Show threads will get active once things move along on vaccinations.

 

There was more to this statement from earlier in this thread than I quoted but it is an interesting issue. I suppose it depends on what you enjoy about collecting and where your interests lie. More than likely, actually I know for a fact that I have spent enough money on coins of all sorts from the early part of the 19th century that I could have obtained at least one super high quality High Relief instead. But my interests are more in variety - not excluding quality by any means - but then of course quality is somewhat subjective. I enjoy reviewing the interesting combinations of coins I collect - for example my 1840 mint set that is almost 80% complete. I also have some Carson City pieces and civil war era coins. What I like about them are the varieties, the differences, the individual history behind the issues. Some, like the the 1840(O) half dollar have interesting stories about how they were discovered as varieties - with some serious detective work involved. It's a pretty rare coin but not extremely expensive. They just don't come up often. Far less than HR DE's for sure. Would I trade, lets say $30,000 worth of nice, worthy collector grade circulated coins that are almost 200 years old for one beautiful piece that is only a little more than 100 years old and is actually not all that rare? - just highly desirable? I don't know? I can look at the 50 or so interesting coins that I have (most in a bank vault, so it's pictures of course) with varieties of many dominations - and reflect on where they've been, what the history behind them is, how and when they came to me - and it never fails to interest - even at times amuse me. But if I had one spectacular coin? hmm .... I don't know, but I think I might get tired of it. Maybe..... even bored. - I don't know. Seems more like a run of the mill investment to me. I have enough, or at least I hope I do - of those. Now owning a collection of rare DE's that included a High Relief DE - well ok. I could find that interesting for sure. But unfortunately that is not going to be happening anytime soon, so .....

 

Nice story, Fiddle...and like you said, to each his/her own. One of the things even DE/Saint collectors stress is that you don't have to get EVERY coin or type or mintmark....and to the extent you don't, that leaves $$$ for other coin types, since most of us have some budget that we have to adhere to.

Pre-1850 gold coins are very interesting.

 

I have the means to own a nice 1907 High Relief $20 gold and the other coins I really like. It's not a matter of either or for me.

On the other hand, I could sell everything I have and try to buy something like an 1894-S dime in nice condition. The 1913 Liberty Nickel, which doesn't interest me, an 1804 "original" dollar and a high grade 1794 dollar are all out of my reach. I would not give up my whole collection for any of those coins.

 

Let's face it, unless our last name is SIMPSON most of us have to make choices, John.

Who'd have thunk it......HOMER Simpson, coin collector extraordinarire ! Didn't realize working at a power plant paid so well.

 

Yes! They represent a world that is so different, good, bad and evil from the world we live in now. The only pre-50 gold pieces I own are in my 1840 mint set collection, and by definition they are among the first "Liberties". Everything earlier than 1840 becomes far more expensive - although not necessarily more rare. If I had the means pre 1840 gold is a direction I could see pursuing. Beautiful designs and tons of history. However, my interest in and learning about the first liberties, the shifts in attitude, technology, politics they represent has been fun and satisfying. Lots of good numismatic stories. The country was recovering from the Jacksonian era and all the stark contrasts of those years - and heading for the great schism that has yet to be resolved. It's interesting for sure. It's fun to see the almost complete range of coinage that people in that era carried, including my coins. Not a mint state among them - The lowest grade is VF30 (a with drapery dime) and the highest AU55 (several of the gold pieces) XF45 is the most common grade. The Eagle is the largest coin minted - which helps make the collection manageable. I am missing only one example of a gold coin issue from 1840 - the $2.50 quarter Eagle from Dahlonega. I have decent or better examples of all the silver except several of the many varieties of dimes and half dimes. I have one of the interesting 1840(O) half dollars - minted in New Orleans but without a mint mark. It is within the realm of possibility that I can someday find a D quarter Eagle that I can afford - hopefully one that meets my expectations regardless of the grade- details would be fine if the coin is not too hard to look at, haha. And if I found that I might very well be motivated to find those missing 5 and 10 cent varieties and get to 100%. That would be fun.
For anyone interested you can see my 1840 set in the NGC registry. Easy enough to find.

Of course, all of this said, a nice 1794 dollar is quite something!

If you hung in there and read this, thanks much. From the 1840 guy!

 

Ultra High Relief: FYI, a 1907 Ultra High Relief pattern (technically not a coin) is on sale over at Heritage, and the bidding is at $1.5 MM.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-high...07-$20-ultra-high-relief-viewItem-1327-012921

Ends in 2 days.

 

MCMVII High Relief Details Wire Rim: Went for $7,500 including bp.....13 bidders including 3 bidders going back-and-forth above $5,000 so the price can't be considered an outlier.

https://www.greatcollections.com/Co...High-Relief-Wire-Edge-PCGS-Genuine-AU-Details

AU Details.....what would this grade if not ex-jewelry ?

 

MCMVII High Relief Flat Rim PCGS MS66: Sold for $74,500 ($83,813 including bp.) this past Sunday on GC. 18 bidders, 76 bids.

Flat edge and grade helped the price, but still very strong activity for a coin sought out by collectors and non-coin folks.

 

$166,202 (ex-bp) for that beautiful MCMVII High Relief MS-66+ from the "Half Dome Collection" (anybody ever hear of it ?) over at GC this past Sunday. 23 total bidders including about 10 who were still there onc it crossed 6-figures.

 

It went for $3.6 MM about a year ago.

GC and HA did a private transaction a few months ago for $4,750,000 for The Simpson UHR, probably the 3rd finest of the MCMVII UHRs:

https://www.greatcollections.com/kb...action-for-Ultra-High-Relief-Gold-t442-4.html

 

Sunday Night GC Auctions:

• A 1928 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS MS-66+ went for $5,232 (w/bp).
• A 1927 MS-62 NGC and a 1925 MS-62 NGC each went for about $2,155 (good proxies for bullion Saint pricing).
• A 1914 MS-63 went for $4,840.
• A 1913-S MS-63 CAC went for $7,425.
• A 1911-D/D Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle Repunched Mintmark FS-501 PCGS MS-66+ CAC went for $20,251 (this is a very unique label with the "FS-501" designation which I'll have to check in RWB's book what it means).
• A 1909/8 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle PCGS MS-65+ went for $48,375.
• A 1908 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle No Motto PCGS MS-63 OGH went for $2,250.
• A 1907 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle MCMVII. High Relief, Wire Edge PCGS MS-62 CAC OGH went for $24,812.
• A 1907 MCMVII High Relief Details did NOT get any bids at the minimum of $7,500.

 

Pricing Anomalies ?: A 1924 MS-65+CAC is asking (no bids) a minimum of $3,780 (w/o bp) while a 1924 MS-66 is only bidding $2,150. I believe other 1924's in the MS-66 range were recently sold for the mid-$3's.

That gap should narrow but I'm not sure the CAC coin gets a bid.

 

DLRC has a NGC MS65 High Relief wire edge coming to auction soon.