Traditional U.S. Gold coinage encompassed a busted liberty head design on the obverse, while displaying the heraldic eagle on the reverse. The image that American coinage traditionally carried was about to be reinvented. Paired together with the common goal of revolutionizing American coinage, President Theodore Roosevelt and world class sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens aimed to showcase America’s dominance in gold coinage by completely starting from scratch.

   Roosevelt felt American gold coinage had become bland and mundane; so, in 1904, he set out to redesign all denominations of U.S. coins from the cent to the double eagle. The President vision was to create a gold coin that would embody the beauty and relief that was found in ancient Greek coinage. He set to work in 1905, commissioning renowned sculptor August Saint-Gaudens.

   Saint-Gaudens was of the personal preference that an Indian head design should be used on the obverse of all $20 Gold pieces; however, President Roosevelt ultimately decided on a standing Liberty design inspired by St. Gaudens work on the 1903 Sherman Victory monument. In the spirit of adhering to ancient Greek coinage, the coins were struck in a very high relief. This gives the coin a three dimensional sculpted appearance. Continuing the Greek theme, the minting date (1907) was articulated in Roman numerals (MCMVII) as-well.

   The 1907 date was to be the inaugural experimental issue of Roosevelt’s and Saint-Gaudens vision. However its functionality was critiqued by chief mint engraver, Charles Barber. Barber suggested that the practicality of the high relief design was not feasible for high volume production, as each coin would require numerous strikes from the coin press before the design would be clear. It was estimated that each high relief design was to receive 7 to 9 strikes before all of the detail was visible in the coins. The high relief design, determined impractical, was only a single year issue.

   Augustus St. Gaudens 1907 $20 High Relief Double Eagle is regarded by many as the most intricate and stunning design ever to be released by the U.S. Mint and has established itself as one of the most coveted and recognizable pieces ever commissioned by the U.S. Mint. Saint-Gaudens passed away in August of 1907, a few months before the mint began production of his design.