Buy St. Gaudens Gold Coins (1907-1933)

Buy St. Gaudens Gold Coins (1907-1933)

The St. Gaudens Double Eagle can be a great bargain to the bullion investor who is attracted by its .9675 troy ounces of pure gold and the numismatist who is attracted by its hard-to-find history. Browse our curated catalog of certified coins and own a tangible piece of the American Renaissance.

Being proclaimed as the most beautiful coin ever minted by the United States Mint, the St. Gaudens gold coin is not a mere silver bar. Still, it is a masterpiece of American art that has to be present in every serious collection.

Shop Our Collection of St. Gauden Double Eagle Coins

Add the ideal coin to your portfolio using our extensive collection of St. Gaudens gold coins. All of the coins are registered with high-quality pictures and with transparent charges, and their certified grade. You can use the sorting options to narrow our collection by grade (e.g., About Uncirculated, MS-63, MS-65), certification service (PCGS or NGC,) and availability to find the exact coin that you require.

The St. Gaudens Gold Coin: The most Beautiful-Looking Coin in America

The history of the Saint Gaudens two-tailed gold coin is a history of ambition and artistry in the presidency. It was a turning point when the United States attempted to mint coins that would symbolize the nation's power and status in the international arena.

A Presidential Vision: Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens Pet Crime

In the early 20th century, President Theodore Roosevelt was highly displeased with the aestheticism of American money. He re-imagined a new generation of coins that had the elegance and artistic richness of Greek coins. He began with a personal project, which he termed his pet crime, when the great sculptor of America, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, engaged him to help redesign the gold coins of the country.

Anatomy of a Masterpiece: the Inimitable Double Eagle Design

The design thus created was a success in the art of numismatics.

Obverse: A robust full-length image of Lady Liberty is walking forward, holding a torch of light and an olive tree of peace. A viewer can see the U.S. Capitol in the background, and the scene is surrounded by 46 stars, the number of states of the Union at that time.

Reverse: Full flight by a majestic eagle against a setting sun. This is a dynamic and inspiring image, regarded as one of the finest depictions of the national bird on any U.S. coin.

Edge:To keep the design clean and straightforward, the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM” was written on the side of the coin- a relatively advanced design of that time.

The Striking of a Legend: High Relief to Circulation

In 1907, the design of Saint-Gaudens was first struck in high relief, and this needed to be repeated several times using the minting presses to get every detail in. Although spectacular, this could not be mass-produced. Chief Engraver Charles Barber of the U.S. Mint would later redesign, reducing the relief to allow it to be struck with only one blow and to endure the wear of circulation.

These coins, which were used early, were also controversial. The motto In God We Trust first appeared in 1859. At the instruction of Roosevelt, the President thought its appearance on currency was blasphemous. Congress ordered its addition in mid-1908 at the bequest of public outcry, producing the separate and much sought-after No Motto (1907-1908) and With Motto (1908-1933) types.

Your Guide to Investing in The Saint Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coin and Collecting

It can be gold or numismatic. Regardless of which one you are acquiring, it is important to learn more about what makes a Saint Gaudens gold coin cost more or less so that you can buy with confidence.

Bullion Value vs. Numismatic Premium: What You Need to Know about Your Investment

All St. Gaudens Double Eagles consist of a large amount of 0.9675 troy ounces of 100 percent gold, which provides it with a foundational value directly linked to the live spot price of gold. This renders it a safe and liquid portfolio diversification asset.

Most importantly, however, is the "numismatic premium Chew gum-dubbed stuffed donkey-hog-whim-garabosti-latter numismatic value, an extra value caused by rarity, mint, historical or other importance, and condition. It is this premium that makes a typical common-date St. Gaudens worth the amount of gold it has, and a rare stay worth millions of dollars.

A Collector’s Guide: Dates and Mints of the St. Gaudens Double Eagle Coin

The value of a St. Gauden coin may also be significantly influenced by the mint mark, which is right above the date. Coins minted in Philadelphia bear no mint mark, with the Denver and San Francisco mints bearing a mint mark of a "D" and an "S" respectively. There are some dates and mint marks which collectors highly desire.

Year / Mint Mark	Variety / Type	Numismatic Significance
1907	High Relief	The first issue, representing Saint-Gaudens' original artistic vision. A classic and highly prized coin.
1907-1908	No Motto	Early issues struck before Congress mandated the inclusion of "In God We Trust".
1908-S	With Motto	A key date with a lower mintage, making it a desirable collectible for series enthusiasts.
1927-D	With Motto	A legendary 20th-century rarity. Of 180,000 minutes, only about a dozen are known to exist today.
1933	With Motto	The famous final year of issue. Never officially released to the public and illegal to own, with one exception.

The Significance of PCGS/ NGC Grading

With a high-value coin such as the St. Gaudens, third-party certification is not negotiable. Professional Coin Grading Services (PCGS) and the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) provide services that verify the authenticity of each coin and then assign it a grade based on its condition.

This grade, with varying circulated grades, such as Extremely Fine (XF) to pristine Mint State (MS) assigns a universal parameter of establishing the quality and commercial value of a coin, which is you are paying a fair price to own an honest coin.

Rarities of legendary proportions: the 1927-D and the forbidden 1933 Saint Gaudens Gold Coin

The legends about the St. Gaudens series increase its value. The finest of the series is the 1927-D, initially minted in large quantities (180,000 coins,) but almost all were destroyed in the 1933 gold recall, so very few copies survived.

Better known is the 1933 Double Eagle. They were minted in large numbers (445,500), but were never issued, because of an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, recalling gold into circulation. They were all but a few destroyed, and any privately owned specimen is stolen property in the eyes of the U.S. government. The only exception, which had been previously in the possession of King Farouk of Egypt, was legalized and auctioned in 2021 to a record price of $18.9 million.

St. Gaudens Gold Coin Specifications

Specification	Detail
Face Value	$20 (Twenty Dollars)
Years of Minting	1907–1933
Composition	90% Gold, 10% Copper
Total Mass	33.431 grams
Actual Gold Weight	0.9675 troy ounces
Diameter	34.1 mm
Edge	Lettered ("E PLURIBUS UNUM")
Mint Marks	P (None), D, S

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the amount of gold in the St. Gaudens coin?

A: 0.9675 troy ounces of pure gold are in every St. Gaudens double eagle coin. It weighs 33.431 grams, which is 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper.

Q: What is so valuable about 1933 St. Gaudens?

A: The 1933 St. Gauds is extremely valuable because it is extremely rare, and legal in a unique way. The coins did not actually get issued and were melted down. The very small number that did not get destroyed are illegal to possess and the only exception came in 2021 when one specimen was auctioned off at a price of 18.9 million, becoming one of the most valuable coins in the world.

Q: Does a No Motto St. Gauden differ from a With Motto St. Gaudens?

A: The no motto type, which was minted in 1907 and belongs to 1908, does not feature the saying, In God We Trust. This was done upon the request of President Roosevelt. After an outcry on the part of the people and the Congress, the motto was struck on the reverse of the coin later in 1908, and it stayed on the coin until the series was terminated in 1933.