The Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle: An Overview

 

About the Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle Coin

At the turn of the 19th century, the U.S. Mint was at a crossroads. President Theodore Roosevelt had this to say about the state of American gold coinage:

The state of our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness.

Roosevelt reached out to Leslie Mortier Shaw, Secretary of the Treasury, and asked if it would be possible to hire a revered artist to produce new coins without first consulting Congress. The revered artist in question was Augustus Saint-Gaudens, an Irish-American sculptor whose work had received both critical and popular acclaim. Saint-Gaudens was up to Roosevelt’s challenge and began working on a new gold coin that he and the U.S. Mint thought might revive public interest in American coinage.

The result was the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, a gold coin with a face value of $20 that circulated from 1907 until the end of the U.S. gold standard under FDR in 1933. Today, the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is considered one of the U.S. Mint’s most beautiful coins. As such, the coin remains a popular collector’s item and tends to command a decent premium on the secondary market.

On this page, you’ll find an overview of the history, specifications, and value behind the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, one of America’s most iconic gold coins.

The Story Behind the Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle

Although the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is now considered one of the U.S. Mint’s greatest achievements, its production was anything but a smooth process. President Theodore Roosevelt’s choice to employ private sculptor Saint-Gaudens as the coin’s designer was a historic first for the U.S. Mint, which had only ever used U.S. Mint designers for previous coins.

Despite the novel approach to design, the Saint-Gaudens Eagle was eventually released and has had a lasting impact on over a century of subsequent coin designs by the U.S. Mint.

Background and Context

The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle was designed at the request of President Teddy Roosevelt, who felt that U.S. coins were not artistically attractive enough. To remedy this problem, Roosevelt suggested that the U.S. Mint reach out to Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a respected artist and sculptor whose work in New York City had made him a household name among sculptors.

This was a revolutionary choice on the part of Roosevelt. Up until that point, U.S. coins had only ever been designed by employees of the U.S. Mint. Nonetheless, the sculptor began working on preliminary designs for the new coin in 1905.

Saint-Gaudens’ Grecian Influences

As he researched designs for the new series of American coins, Saint-Gaudens was drawn to the gold coins produced during the golden age of Ancient Greece. He noted that many of the civilization’s best coins were produced using a high relief, which means that the designs on the coin were especially raised compared to the field, or the blank part behind the designs of a coin. The U.S. Mint eventually agreed to follow through with Saint-Gaudens’ unconventional approach to minting, but the high relief became impractical for mass production and was eventually scrapped.

The high relief wasn’t the only ancient holdover that Saint-Gaudens sought to port into U.S. coinage with his Double Eagle. He wrote to the U.S. Treasury during the design process, asking if he could use Roman numerals instead of Arabic numbers for the coin’s date. Treasury Secretary Leslie Mortier Shaw was opposed to the idea, but Roosevelt intervened and gave Saint-Gaudens permission to use the unconventional Roman numerals, which were featured on the coin’s first release in 1907. 

After scrapping the high-relief minting process on subsequent releases, the U.S. Mint also opted to switch back to Arabic numerals, which appear on all Double Eagles following the initial release of around 12,400 coins.

Designs 

The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle’s obverse features Lady Liberty. She carries an olive branch and a torch as she walks away from a rising sun, with the U.S. Capitol in the background. This side of the coin is encircled by 46 stars, which was later changed in 1912 to include 48 stars as new states were added to the Union during the early 20th century.

On the obverse, a bald eagle flies as the rays of a rising sun surround it. The coin initially did not feature the inscription “In God We Trust” in 1907, but this phrase was added upon the coin’s redesign one year later in 1908.

Public Response and Reception

Although the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is now considered one of the U.S. Mint’s greatest artistic achievements, initial public reception of the coin was far more divided. The most controversial aspect of the initial 1907 release was the U.S. Mint’s choice to omit the motto “In God We Trust” from the coin’s design. This was done at the request of Teddy Roosevelt, who believed that it was improper to reference God on currency coins that may be used for illegal or immoral purposes.

In response to the public controversy, Congress ordered the U.S. Mint to redesign the coin to include the model, which appears on all American coinage today. All Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles after the initial, limited 1907 mintage run include the motto.

Public reception was divided on the coin’s design. It represented a major artistic change from previous U.S. circulating coins, all of which had been produced by U.S. Mint employees rather than respected private sculptors. Outside of the U.S., however, the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle quickly became desirable. This was particularly true in Europe, where public distrust of local currencies made the Double Eagle an attractive alternative for the store of wealth.

Of course, public opinion on the coin has shifted significantly since the 20th century. Over time, the coin’s artistic value has come to represent the very best of the U.S. Mint, and it serves as inspiration for the modern American Gold Eagle.

The End of the Gold Double Eagle

The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle was minted from 1907 until 1933, with a brief pause between 1917-1919 during World War One. The coin was discontinued in 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed an executive order requiring citizens to turn over the private gold bullion to the government. 

While this should technically mean that there is no 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, the story isn’t quite so simple. Instead, what happened next is one of the most interesting stories in American numismatics. 

The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle: A Numismatic Treasure

Perhaps the most well-known Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is the 1933 release. In 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt effectively ended the U.S. gold standard by passing Executive Order 6102. This executive order, passed at the height of the Great Depression, required Americans to turn over their gold bullion to the U.S. government and prohibited the private ownership of most gold. 

Because of this executive order, the U.S. Mint was ordered to melt down all of the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles that it had already minted. A limited number of these coins were stolen and smuggled out of the U.S. Mint, presumably by mint employees. Since these coins were never made into legal tender and were meant to be destroyed, U.S. courts have repeatedly ruled that they are illegal to own – except for one. 

The single 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coin that is legal to own is also considered the world’s most valuable coin. In 2021, this 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle sold for $18.9 million at an auction by Sotheby’s, making it the most expensive coin ever sold.

Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagles Today

In 2025, the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is one of the world’s most popular collectible gold coins. The coin’s impact on American coinage is undeniable. It inspired over a century of coin design choices, including the ongoing American Gold Eagle bullion series by the U.S. Mint. 

These coins typically sell for at least a moderate premium over melt value due to the historical significance and popularity of the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle’s obverse and reverse designs. If you are looking to start collecting pre-1933 U.S. gold coins, the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is a must-have.

Numismatic and Collectible Value

The numismatic value of a Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle depends on several factors, including:

• Condition. The condition of your Double Eagle will play a significant role in determining its value to collectors. Coins in near-perfect condition typically sell for a substantial premium over coins in moderate or cull condition.
• Year and Mint Mark. The year and mint mark of a Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle tells investors how rare that particular coin is compared to other releases in the minting run. Rarer years and mint marks sell for significantly more at auction than common dates.
• Varieties. There are several varieties of the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, all of which were minted from 1907-1909. These coins can range greatly in value but tend to sell for more than common date, standard coins from the minting run. 

Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles are also sometimes sold in graded coin slabs from leading coin grading companies, such as the National Guaranty Company (NGC), American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS), and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). These graded slabs can add to the collectible value of a Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle by providing both security and certification to the buying and selling process.

Saint-Gaudens’ Lasting Influence

It may seem like we’ve spoken multiple times about the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle’s influence on American coinage… and you’re right! The truth is that the impact of this coin on an entire generation of coin collectors and U.S. Mint products cannot possibly be understated. In many ways, Saint-Gaudens’ iconic work changed the trajectory of U.S. coinage, and it has stood the test of time as among the most highly original, beautiful works of art to ever come out of the U.S. Mint.

Final Thoughts: America’s Favorite Gold Coin

At the turn of the 19th century, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to reimagine the limitations and artistry of American coinage. His solution was to enlist the help of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a celebrated artist and sculptor from New York City. Saint-Gaudens brought us the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, an iconic American gold coin that remains a staple for gold coin collectors all over the world. 

If you’re interested in owning one of these beauties for yourself, check out Hero Bullion’s extensive inventory of raw and certified Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coins.

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