Indian Eagles 1907 $10 Wire Rim MS64 PCGS. CAC. President

Indian Eagles
1907 $10 Wire Rim MS64 PCGS. CAC. President Roosevelt was not the only person deeply saddened by the fact that Saint-Gaudens' high relief designs for the ten and twenty dollar gold pieces couldn't be retained for mass coinage, but had to be reduced for the sake of high-speed coinage. The August 28, 1907 edition of the New Hampshire Farmer and Weekly Union ran an article discussing the public outcry against the reduction of the designs' relief, knowledge of which had reached the public:

"The newspapers, both editorially and through letters send in by correspondents, indicate the extent of the public disappointment at the rejection of the coins designed by the late St. Gaudens. The reason assigned for the rejection is that the coins will not 'stack,' which means that the relief is higher than the rims. This is unquestionably an objection of some weight with bank men, and it would seem that another objection might be the effect of wear upon the designs, which, unprotected by the rims, would be more rapidly defaced by the friction of constant use. But neither of these objections appears insuperable. It would certainly be practicable to raise the rims, if it was not thought advisable to depress the designs in relief. At all events, the outcry against the rejection of the designs is a splendid popular tribute to the memory of the dead sculptor."

The same issue of the paper commented further on the designs' development in another excerpt:

"Work on the new United States gold coins and one cent piece is practically completed except that the designs on the bas relief are being reduced or flattened, so as to minimize the difficulties which the mint workers have with the die that has too much relief. The figure of an idealized head with an Indian head dress, a figure of Liberty with the same head and a flying standing eagle, are said to be handsome, and will make the eagle, double eagle and cent the equal of any coins in the world."

Faced with the reality that Saint-Gaudens' designs would be reduced in their relief, Roosevelt ordered that a small number of the high relief ten dollar pieces be produced to preserve the high relief design for collectors. This order amounted in the coinage of 542 examples of what is today called the Wire Rim 1907 Indian eagle. Eventually, 70 of these pieces were melted, leaving a net mintage of 472 coins. The current Choice example displays exceptional definition bathed in luminous honey-gold mint luster with rich color and no distracting abrasions. Eye appeal is outstanding, endorsed by CAC. CAC: 24 in 64, 20 finer (11/24). www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

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