The
numismatic adventure can be enriched by acquiring groups of
coins in meaningful combinations. Sets of coins can run from
two pieces to many. In the areas of rare date and early silver
and gold coins we have established certain sets of special
interest. They include the first and last of an issue, type
sets, design sets, year sets, and those that are joined by
historical events such as the Civil War. The coins of each
set are specially selected for you and your collecting needs.
We are specialists in this
area and will expertly and confidentially help you assemble
a set similar to the one you see below, which is made up of
pieces from the US Rare Coin Investments’ archives.
We will cherry pick through millions of dollars of rare coins
selecting only the finest quality pieces for your collection.
A Set of 1905 Double
Eagle - 1907 High Relief
The twentieth century saw
two major design types of double eagles. The first, minted
from 1850 to 1907 is a Longacre Liberty Head. The second,
minted from 1907 to 1933 is a Saint-Gaudens double eagle.
A modest two coin set would, of course, be one of each type.
More ambitious would be two rare coins of these types. Even
more challenging would be two proof coins using the two
designs.
Longacre’s design
for the double eagle shows a Liberty head facing left, wearing
coronet inscribed LIBERTY. Her hair is tightly tied in the
back with two loose curls hanging down her neck to the end
of the truncation. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed
stars with the date below. Dentils are near the edge on
both sides of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle
with elaborate ribbons on both sides of the shield extending
from the top corner down to the eagle’s tail feathers.
The ribbons are inscribed, on the left E PLURIBUS and UNUM
on the right. The ribbons were added to the design to symbolize
the denomination since this was the first twenty dollar
coin. There is an oval of thirteen stars above the eagle’s
head and an arc of rays from wing tip to wing tip behind
the upper half of the oval. Within the oval is the motto
IN GOD WE TRUST. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
is in an arc above the eagle, and the denomination TWENTY
DOLLARS is below.
In 1907 a new double eagle
was issued. Designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the high
relief coins were modified for commercial use in the same
year and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added in the next
year. These changes were done by Charles Barber after Saint-Gaudens’
death. Barber was the Mint Engraver in whom President Theodore
Roosevelt had no confidence when the president asked Saint-Gaudens
to design the new coinage. His “pet crime” was
that he would bypass the mundane Barber for a real artist
who was capable of transforming the national coinage. The
design that Saint-Gaudens developed was so outstanding that
even with the modifications that Barber made, the creativity
of the artist still is evident. In fact this design, with
modifications, is still in use today in the American Eagle
Gold bullion program.
1905
Double Eagle - Frequently encountered
in grades AU58 to MS61, this 1905 double eagle is
considerably tougher to locate in grades MS62 and
above. The surfaces of this example are smooth and
velvety and are accompanied by sharply struck devices.
It is a premium example of a scarce date, the ideal
coin for collectors who are looking for a top quality
rare gold coin to add to their numismatic portfolio.
1907
High Relief - Mint luster shimmers
on this wonderful 1907 High Relief Double Eagle creating
the impression that Liberty is illuminated by sunlight
as she strides forward. On the reverse it is as if
a sun is shining down on the eagle because the tops
of its wings, neck and head are bathed in mint luster.
Remarkably little abrasion is evident for the grade.
The central design elements are sharp, but there is
a little softness on the sun’s rays on the reverse.