Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle: A Collector's Guide
The Saint-Gaudens double eagle is widely admired for its design. Date, mint, grade, surfaces, metal value, and collector demand must be researched separately for each coin.
Bottom Line: Most collectors pursue a type set, a High Relief (or a common No Motto and With Motto), rather than a full date set, which the great rarities make impractical. Common dates are an affordable, liquid way to own a piece of the Renaissance of American coinage.
The major types
| Type | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1907 Ultra High Relief | Saint-Gaudens' original vision, a pattern, a handful known, a museum-tier rarity. |
| 1907 High Relief | A glorious one-year sculptural type. Hard to strike, so it was flattened for production. |
| No Motto (1907-1908) | Early issues without "In God We Trust", the first regular-relief type. |
| With Motto (1908-1933) | The motto was added in 1908; the bulk of the series. Common dates are the affordable ones. |
The famous keys
1933 Double Eagle
The issue has an exceptional legal and ownership history. Read the full story and verify current government and auction-house records directly.
1927-D
A major rarity whose survival and auction history require issue-specific research.
1920-S, 1921, 1930-S, 1931, 1932
These Depression-era issues have distinct survival and condition-rarity profiles. Verify each date and grade separately.
Buying common dates well
Dates like 1924, 1927, and 1928 (Philadelphia) require separate checks of metal value, date-specific demand, grade, and eye appeal. Use third-party certification as one part of verification because counterfeit pre-1933 gold is the most common fake. See how to spot a fake and our pre-1933 gold guide.
Browse Saint-Gaudens gold
See the Saint-Gaudens issues in our catalog with current graded listings across the major marketplaces.
View the Saint-Gaudens series →Storage & handling
Saint-Gaudens gold is soft and marks easily. Raw common dates belong in Air-Tite capsules, certified pieces in a slab box, and a precious-metal verifier confirms the gold right through the holder. See our collector gear guide →
Keep reading
The 1933 Double Eagle: A Provenance Lesson
The 1933 Double Eagle combines contested ownership, government litigation, exceptional provenance, and a documented 2021 auction record.
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The 1804-dated dollars were produced later for diplomatic and collector purposes. Their classes, provenance chains, and legal histories explain their importance.
13 min readVintage GuideMercury Dime Guide: the 1916-D & Full Bands
One of the most beautiful US coins. Most dates are pocket-change cheap, but the 1916-D key and the “Full Bands” strike designation turn this affordable series into a real pursuit.
10 min readCoins to explore
All coins →
1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold · Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1907 HR Saint-Gaudens High Relief
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold · Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1933 Double Eagle
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold
1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold · Augustus Saint-Gaudens