If You’re Looking For Stunning American Eagle Gold Coins, Then Check Out This 2-Piece Set of 1908-1929 Indian Quarter Eagle/Half Eagle Coins With Bonus!
It is believed that the $20 Saint-Gaudens, or double eagle, gold coin is the most breathtakingly beautiful coin in U.S. history. However, there are two smaller American eagle gold coins from the same period in history that steal the limelight, due to their bold and cutting-edge design. That would be the $2.50 and $5 gold coins, also known as the Indian Head quarter eagle and half eagle. Nonetheless, these two particular gold coins were not exactly welcomed with open arms. First of all, these coins are quite unusual because their relief is incuse. For those of you not of the numismatic world, this means that the motifs and legends are sunken in a surface that is uniformly flat. Other traditional coins have the legends raised above the surface of the coin and rely on the rim for protection.
A close friend of President Roosevelt, William S. Bigelow, who was a physician and art collector from Boston, proposed the unique idea of the incused design, and the President proudly approved it. This design would be able to reduce wear and tear and avoid replacement costs on legal tender coinage. But people complained that the depressed design would be a dirt collector and thus, a germ breeder and in addition, would be easy to counterfeit. There was also griping that these coins wouldn’t stack properly, of all things!
How The $10 Indian American Gold Coin Was Changed
The renowned master sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was commissioned in 1905 by President Teddy Roosevelt, to create a totally new look and design for the American gold coins. President Roosevelt, who favored the ancient Greek tradition of coinage, requested that these gold coins be created in this manner with fresh and new designs.
The obverse side of the coin depicted Miss Liberty all adorned in an Indian War Bonnet. This came about when Mr. St-Gaudens mixed two separate traditions for the $10 gold coin... that is using the prior Miss Liberty profile, and then adding the feathered Indian headdress. The newly designed American gold coin had an unusual edge that consisted of 46 stars, representing the 46 states that comprised the Union at that time. Later, in 1912, New Mexico and Arizona joined the union and 2 more stars were added.
The reverse of the new $10 gold coin design featured a very proud eagle perched upon a bundle of arrows. Many who saw this new and magnificent design considered this to be one of the U.S. finest works of design in gold art. To this day, it remains one of the finest works by this great sculptor.
Mintages of this outstanding $10 Indian American gold coin were extremely limited and this added to its rarity and very high desirability by many collectors. The actual total number of these Indian gold coins minted were far less that the even a single year's mintage of the Morgan silver dollar, and in fact, from 1907 to 1933, the coins were only struck intermittently. Then, in 1933, the Treasury recalled American gold coins, and millions of them were melted down and destroyed forever.
The $10 Indian gold coin is a part of American history and highly sought after by many coin and gold collectors. It is recommended for your gold coin collection, with the more popular dates being 1926 through 1929.
An Old West Era Icon – The Memorable 24 Karat American Buffalo Coin!
On December 22, 2005, the Presidential $1 Coin Act authorized the production of the American Buffalo 24-karat gold coins. These gorgeous gold bullion coins were first offered for sale in 2006 in one-ounce, .9999 fine gold, with a face value of fifty dollars. This actually was the first time that the U.S. Mint struck 24-karat gold coins for public consumption. The coin’s design was based on the historic 1913-1938 “Indian Head” nickel done by American sculptor, James Earle Fraser, previously a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. In 1913, there were actually two variations of the original design: the first showed a bison on a mound; the second with the base changed into a straight, thinner line. The American Buffalo coins are based on Fraser’s Type I design.
On the obverse of the coin is striking image of a Native American, which is based on three different American Indians. Fraser gave the names of two of the individuals, but he was not able to remember the name of the third. Chief Two Moons of the Cheyenne and Chief Iron Tail of the Lakota Sioux tribes were the ones whose names Fraser revealed. Chief Big Tree’s name has come up as the remaining model, but no documentation has been found to prove that is the case. The proud image of the Native American is in profile, facing right, with feathers adorning his hair. The obverse coin’s inscriptions have the “W” mint mark of the U.S. Mint at West Point, the year of issue and the word “Liberty”. In fact, all of the 24-karat American Buffalo coins were struck at the West Point United States Mint.
1 Oz Gold American Eagle
Worth its weight in gold, the one-ounce American Gold Eagle coin is a rock-solid investment with stability. It is the number one gold bullion coin in the world whose weight, content and purity is guaranteed by the U.S. government. The American Eagle gold bullion series debuted in 1986 and are minted in twenty-two karat solid gold. The obverse (front) design is inspired by what’s often considered one of America’s most beautiful coins: Augustus Saint Gaudens’ celebrated $20 gold piece, minted from 1907-1933. The American Eagle’s obverse design features a rendition of the full-length figure of Lady Liberty with flowing hair, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left, with the Capitol building in the left background. Sculptor Miley Busiek designed the reverse of the coin, featuring a male eagle carrying an olive branch, flying above a nest containing a female eagle and her hatchlings. This particular composition is to signify the strength, security and unity of the American family.
The Gold American Eagle coin offers a tangible beauty. Hold it in your hand and appreciate its artistry and symbolism! See this exceptional coin at GovMint.com for rare Gold coins! Click here!
Our Sponsors