Augustus Saint-Gaudens,
modified later in the year by Charles E. Barber
Diameter:
±34
millimeters
Metal
content:
Gold - 90%
Other - 10%
Weight:
±516
grains (±33.4 grams)
Edge:
Reeded
Mintmark:
None (for Philadelphia)
above the date
Introduction:
The 1907, popularly called "Arabic date"
was released by late December, 1907. Not many were
saved at the rime of issue, as the MCMVII stole the
limelight. In time, Mint State coins became elusive.
In die late 20th century that changed when foreign
hoards were tapped. The majority of these from hoards
were sold to investors, not to numismatists, and thus
certification figures, while large, include just a
fraction of the pieces in existence. Today the 1907
Arabic date dou¬ble eagle is very common in lower
Mint State levels, but at the MS-65 level only a few
thousand "exist—a small figure in comparison
to the demand for them. Nearly all Mint State coins
have good eye appeal and are very lustrous. Grading
can be a bugbear for this and other coins of the type,
as a coin can have virtually pristine fields, but
show rubbing on the higher areas of Miss Libertys
figure.
Aspects of Striking: Sometimes with areas
of light striking at the ohverse center. It will take
some searching to find a nice one. Often, coins are
hrilliant and beautiful, but are blunt in certain
details. This was the factor of unsatisfactory dies
(corrected in the summer of 1908 by revising certain
details) plus die spacing. Cherrypicking is worthwhile.
"All 1907 'Arabic date" and all 1908 &o
Motto double eagles struck up to about March were
0.012-inch too large in diameter. This was due to
the three-segment edge collar "springing"
as the coin was struck. Barber fixed the problem.
No effort was made to recall the defective coins."'
Proof Die Data and Notes: Apparently
made in the normal fashion by taking a carefully struck
coin from regular dies, with excellent die detail
from striking multiple times on a medal press, and
subjecting it to a fine air-driven stream of sand
particles.
Number of Appearances:
8 (2%)
Average Grade: Proof Only
Auction Records:
(5) Proof:
Auction '80; New England 7/80; Stack's 6/79; Ullmer
1974; Farouk 1954 (3) Unc: ANA 1956; Kern 1950; Bell
1944
Comments: This remarkable numismatic work-of-art was
created by the famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens
at the personal request of President Theodore Roosevelt
who wanted to make the nation's coinage more artistic.
Although the design concept and drawings were Saint-Gaudens',
he was gravely ill in late 1906 and so his assistant,
Henry Hering, executed the plaster models for the
design and delivered them to the Mint in December,
1906. The Chief Engraver, Charles Barber, flatly stated
that it was impossible for any mint to make such a
coin. (Barber was extremely unhappy at Saint-Gaudens
being commissioned for this task. At that time, it
was unthinkable that any outsider would do the Mint's
work and Barber was secretly working on his own $20
design.) However, Hering had purposely made the models
in extremely high relief "knowing perfectly well
they could not stamp it in one strike, my object being
to have a die made of this model and then have strikes
made in order to see the various results." Hering
convinced Barber that experimentation was necessary
and Barber finally agreed to make the dies. Hering
returned to the Mint in February, 1907 to "see
how the experi¬mental model of the first die would
work out; so a circular disc of gold was placed in
the die and by hydraulic pressure of 172 tons, 1 think
it was, we had our first stamping and the impression
snowed little more than half the modeling. I had them
make a cast of this for my guidance. The coin was
again placed in the die for another strike and again
it showed a little more of the modeling, and so it
went, on and on, until the ninth strike, when the
coin showed up in every detail."
The exact number of pieces struck is not known and
opinions vary. Adams and Woodin stated that "eighteen
pieces are said to have been struck." Howland
Wood in an article in the 1909 Numismatist indicated
that "thirteen coins were struck." An article
in the 1920 Numismatist indicated that 19 pieces were
struck, two of which were destroyed in Mint tests.
Other estimates have placed the number at 16 or 22.
Whatever the actual original mintage, I estimate that
approximately 13-15 are known today.
In addition to the estimated 13-15 Lettered Edge Extremely
High Reliefs, there is one known specimen with a Plain
Edge. This unique coin was part of a set of 1907 and
1908 gold coins (which also included a Lettered Edge
Extremely High Relief) that was kept intact for many
years until the set was sold by Stack's to New England
Rare Coin Galleries in early 1980. NERCG broke up
the set and the unique Plain Edge Extremely High Relief
was sold to dealer John Dannreuther who subsequently
sold the coin to a customer. The Plain Edge specimen
was struck from a badly cracked reverse die and, in
my opinion, was the very first Extremely High Relief
struck.
As a final comment, it should be noted that all the
Extremely High Reliefs are proofs. That is obvious
both from their appearance and the known circumstances
of their striking. The "Unc." auction records
below are therefore incorrect and all eight listings
(5 Proof, 3 Unc.) are for the same "kind"
of coin. (In addition to the records below, there
was one other auction appearance of a 1907 Extremely
High Relief. That coin appeared in a 1961 Abner Kreisberg-Jerry
Cohen Sale.)
