Saint Gaudens

Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coins

When it came time to redesign the Double Eagle coin, Theodore Roosevelt commissioned Augustus Saint-Gaudens. While the Saint Gaudens coin is recognized as one of the most beautiful US coins, it didn’t come easily. Despite the design challenges, the coin was minted for almost 30 years until Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 executive order forbade hoarding of gold.

The St. Gaudens coin is also known as the $20 Double Eagle because it has a face value of $20 USD. The coins were struck in the three major mints: Philadelphia, Denver (D), and San Francisco (S). If the coin was produced in Philadelphia, it bears no mintmarks.

Rarities of the Saint-Gaudens Gold Coin

All gold coins remaining in US bank vaults were melted after 1933, so only coins in foreign vaults remained. As a result, millions of Liberty and St. Gaudens gold coins were repatriated. Though it was once believed to be the rarest, a discovery of many 1924 Double Eagles in European vaults makes it the most common.

The 1925-S, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. Less than a thousand survived, so a 1925-S St. Gaudens gold coin value is exceptionally high. How much is a $20 Double Eagle Gold coin worth? One of the 1925-S $20 St. Gaudens coins sold for $287,500 in 2005.

Top Reasons to Buy the $20 Gold Double Eagle

The St. Gaudens gold coin continues to make its way into collections and precious metal holdings because:

• The coin’s gold content is 90% with only 10% copper.
• The coins contain .96750 troy ounces of gold.
• It has one of the most beautiful designs in the history of coins.
• Collectors have long valued the coin and held it in high regard.

If you are looking to buy a Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, look no further. IPM has several St. Gaudens gold coins for sale, and we are happy to help you find the right piece to add to your investment portfolio or collection.

Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle History

The St. Gaudens coin had a rocky start with disagreements over design. Roosevelt and Saint Gaudens fought for high-relief coins, but the Mint views them as unsuitable for practical production. Unfortunately, Saint-Gaudens died in the middle of a lower-relief design, which only caused more issues. By 1907, the Mint’s Chief Engraver had finished the rework on his own, and soon coins were struck on a larger scale.

Pre 1933 Twenty Dollar Saint Gaudens

Production paused in 1916, but it resumed once WWI ended and demand for gold coins returned. The US Mint continued to strike the coin until 1933, when the gold standard ended. Though most of the gold coins were melted in the years to follow, two 1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle coins remain in the Smithsonian’s collection.

Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle Design

The St. Gaudens Double Eagle has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful coins. Its obverse side has a regal Lady Liberty walking forward with a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The sun’s rays shine behind her while the US Capitol Building sits off in the distance. The word “LIBERTY” goes across the top of the coin. In the original design, 46 stars lined the edge of the obverse side, and two more were added on the lower right for Arizona and New Mexico in 1912.

On the reverse side of the St. Gaudens, you’ll see a soaring eagle among the sun’s rays with the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” tracing the top edge of the coin. The face value sits just below. In 1908, “IN GOD WE TRUST” was added to the design following public complaints about its omission.