saint gaudens double eagle

The Saint Gaudens Double Eagle is widely viewed as one of the most beautiful U.S. coin designs in history. Created by reknown sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens, a striking image of Liberty is portrayed holding an olive branch and lit torch. She steps confidently forward with the U.S. Capitol building and the rays of the sun behind her. The reverse features the majestic image of a flying eagle with the rays of the sun beneath.

The coins were minted from 1907 to 1933 with a few modifications to the design, most notably the relief in which it was rendered. Augustus Saint Gaudens had originally intended to the coins to be struck in ultra high relief, but this was lowered to high relief for initial circulation production. After about 12,000 pieces were struck, the relief was lowered once again to enable mass production.