Worn Only Where the Design Stands Tallest
An About Uncirculated (AU) Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle has seen a little handling, and the evidence sits on the highest points only. The rest of the design is intact. Those high points are there because of a problem the Mint ran into with the coin’s very first version in 1907.
The Coin the Mint Could Barely Strike
Augustus Saint-Gaudens was a sculptor, and he modeled the $20 gold piece like one, with Liberty and the eagle raised well above the field. In 1907 the Mint struck about 12,367 coins in that original high relief, dated in Roman numerals as MCMVII. One strike could not bring the design up. Each coin needed several blows of the press, nine by some accounts, which was far too slow for a coin meant to circulate.
Chief Engraver Charles Barber lowered the relief so a single blow would do, and that lower version is the Saint the Mint went on to strike through the rest of the series. It still has depth. Liberty’s figure rises from the field, and the spots that rise furthest are the ones that meet a thumb, a counter or another coin first.
What Light Wear Looks Like
AU means light wear on high points. On a Saint, check Liberty’s breast and knee on the front and the eagle on the back. Those areas can look slightly softer or duller than the rest of the coin, and small contact marks from other coins are normal too.
No grading service has looked at this coin. It comes to you loose, outside any grading holder, and AU is how we describe it rather than a number from NGC or PCGS.
We send the AU Saint we have on hand, so year and mint vary. It may be any issued year from 1907 on, and the series was struck at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco, so any of the three could turn up. Nothing dated 1933 ships, because that year was never released.
What You Pay For, and What We Leave Alone
An AU Saint is not priced on its gold alone. The rest of the price is for an early twentieth century Saint with nearly all of its detail, so treat it as a collectible first, bought for its design and history rather than as a way to buy gold by the ounce.
Nothing in our process brightens a coin. No chemical dip, and no cleaning happens here, and the coin goes out with the surface it had when we got it. Generations of earlier owners are another matter, and we have no way to know what each of them did.
$20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle AU Specifications
This coin holds 0.9675 troy ounces of gold in a .900 fine alloy, with a $20 denomination and Augustus Saint-Gaudens as designer. The Specifications tab lists the series, metal content, purity and the AU (Almost Uncirculated) condition.
$20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle AU FAQ
What does AU mean for a Saint-Gaudens double eagle?
About Uncirculated, which some dealers call Almost Uncirculated. The coin shows light wear on its highest points and nowhere else. On this listing it is our call, not one a grading service made.
Which parts of the coin show the wear?
The raised parts: the front of Liberty’s figure at her breast and knee, and the eagle on the reverse. Standing highest, they touch other surfaces first and rub first.
Should I buy AU or BU?
Buy BU if you want no circulation wear at all. Buy AU if a little rub on the high points does not bother you and you want the full design in nearly original detail. Both are uncertified and both ship as random dates.
Is the $20 on the coin what it is worth?
No. The $20 is its face value, and the gold inside is worth far more than that. Nobody spends a double eagle at face.
Want a Saint with no wear at all? Step up to our .
Saint-Gaudens’ design with only its high points touched. Add the $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle AU to your cart.
richard.n (verified owner) –
I’m thrilled to have one of these remarkable coins in my stack now. The price was very fair and Heros gets your order to you faster then anyone Ive dealt with.
The $20 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coin is just a beautiful coin.