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President Roosevelt believed U.S. coinage at the turn of the last century was bland and uninspired. In fact, he went even further and said it was "artistically of atrocious hideousness." Roosevelt did know what he liked, and he liked the inaugural medal done by Augustus Saint-Gaudens after his election in 1904. He summoned the sculptor to the White House in 1905 and they spoke at length about coinage. Both agreed the high point of artistic achievement in coinage was realized by the high relief coinage of the ancient Greeks.
Roosevelt enlisted Saint-Gaudens support for redesigning U.S. coinage. It took two years for the sculptor to work the coin designs in between his other commissions. Mint procrastination was also a factor in the delay of the production of the coins, in part caused by Mint personnel's unfamiliarity with the striking of high relief coinage. At last an exasperated Theodore Roosevelt exclaimed, "Begin the new issue even if it takes you all day to strike one piece." The ten dollar design was a modification of his monumental sculpture at the entrance of Central Park. The twenty dollar design was inspired by the Nike of Samothrace that stands atop the Grand Staircase in the Louvre.
This coin is a magnificent example of Saint-Gaudens' concept realized in high relief. The surfaces appear flawless and are covered with softly frosted mint luster that shows slight reddish patina. The striking details are fully articulated in all areas, as one would expect, and it appears that the wire rim is complete around each side.
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Coin Information and Populations
NGC population is 13 in MS67 with 3 finer.
PCGS population is 6 in MS67 with 1 finer.
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