The 1907 Saint‑Gaudens High Relief Double Eagle, Wire Rim, stands as one of the most celebrated achievements in American coinage. Conceived through President Theodore Roosevelt’s call for a “renaissance of American coinage” and realized by Augustus Saint‑Gaudens, the design elevated the double eagle from currency to sculpture. The Wire Rim variant, created by excess metal flow at the collar during striking, enhances the medallic quality of the piece and underscores its status as a work of art as much as a coin.

The obverse depicts Liberty striding forward with torch and olive branch, framed by rays of the rising sun and encircled by stars. The reverse presents a majestic eagle in flight, wings extended against a radiant sky. In high relief, these designs achieve a depth and vitality unmatched in later reductions, each element modeled with sculptural rhythm and architectural clarity.

This particular coin carries a personal provenance. Inherited from my uncle, it became a centerpiece of my collection before being sold in the 2010s. Graded PCGS MS66 with CAC Green approval, it ranked among the finest survivors of the type, its surfaces luminous with satiny frost and golden highlights that enlivened every fold of Liberty’s gown and every feather of the eagle’s wings. The CAC designation confirmed its premium quality within the grade, a distinction recognized by advanced collectors who prize both technical merit and aesthetic appeal.

The historical resonance of the 1907 High Relief is profound. Struck in limited numbers due to the impracticality of multiple blows required for full detail, it represents the uncompromising ideal of Roosevelt and Saint‑Gaudens before Mint pragmatism forced a lower‑relief modification. Each surviving coin is thus both a triumph and a relic of artistic ambition, embodying the tension between vision and utility.

The Robert Julian Collection has long emphasized coins that embody both artistry and historical significance, and this High Relief Wire Rim exemplified that philosophy. Its inclusion affirmed a commitment to preserving not just rarity, but the very spirit of America’s numismatic renaissance. Auction records confirm the enduring demand for such pieces, with spirited bidding reflecting their dual status as national treasures and private trophies.

This finished artwork underscores the artistry of Saint‑Gaudens’ design as much as the coin itself. Liberty’s stride is captured with sculptural vitality, the eagle’s wings with tonal depth, and the radiating fields with architectural balance. By presenting the coin in full color, the piece transforms a century‑old artifact into a living meditation on motion, symbolism, and national pride.

For the Print of the Month archive, the 1907 Saint‑Gaudens High Relief Double Eagle, Wire Rim, stands as a testament to Roosevelt’s vision and Saint‑Gaudens’ genius. Preserved in MS66 with CAC approval, inherited as family legacy, and later passed on in the 2010s, it endures as both sculpture and coin, bridging the worlds of art, commerce, and memory. In metal and in artwork, it remains a timeless witness to America’s golden renaissance.