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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. This coin also has the prestigious CAC designation!
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Coin Information and Populations
PCGS population is 283 in MS65 with 84 finer.
NGC population is 69 in MS65 with 56 finer.
PCGS # 9135.65/6590443
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