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1907 Roman numeral high relief double eagle photo box coin, with photograph of Theodore Roosevelt.

1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

1907 Roman numeral high relief double eagle photo box coin, with photograph of Theodore Roosevelt.

Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

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Comments

  • PedzolaPedzola Posts: 1,027 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sad to see the coin sliced in half, but cool piece. I wonder what the backstory is. You think it has had a pic of Roosevelt since inception?

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

    President Theodore Roosevelt was pleased with the privately commissioned design by Augustus Saint-Gaudens for his inaugural medal, and equally unimpressed with the official medal produced by Chief Engraver Charles Barber. In a letter to the artist, he thanked him by stating:

    "My dear fellow, I am very grateful to you, and I am very proud to have been able to associate you in some way with my administration. I like the medals immensely; that goes without saying, for the work is eminently characteristic of you. Thank Heaven, we have at last some artistic work of permanent worth done for the government!"

    It was a small, logical step for Roosevelt to next commission Saint-Gaudens to redesign the nation's coinage, a subject he brought up over dinner at the White House in January 1905. Saint-Gaudens had a backlog of commissions at that time, but this request delivered by the president himself forced coinage designs onto the sculptor's calendar, even if some of work had to be given to assistants in his studio. While the designs were completed prior to the sculptor's death in early August 1907, it was not until the fall of that year that production actually began. Production began to move forward when the president sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury George Cortelyou and stated: "I do not want to wait about those new coins." Chief Engraver Barber had his vacation at Oyster Bay, Long Island interrupted, and High Relief twenties began to be produced the following month

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That would be a great piece to have in a collection..... A beautiful coin and a great President. Cheers, RickO

  • messydeskmessydesk Posts: 19,931 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Pedzola said:
    Sad to see the coin sliced in half, but cool piece. I wonder what the backstory is. You think it has had a pic of Roosevelt since inception?

    No. The picture of Roosevelt was printed a few years ago to go with the piece after it was put in its current collection.

  • messydeskmessydesk Posts: 19,931 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 10, 2020 11:14AM

    @1630Boston said:
    President Theodore Roosevelt was pleased with the privately commissioned design by Augustus Saint-Gaudens for his inaugural medal, and equally unimpressed with the official medal produced by Chief Engraver Charles Barber. In a letter to the artist, he thanked him by stating:

    "My dear fellow, I am very grateful to you, and I am very proud to have been able to associate you in some way with my administration. I like the medals immensely; that goes without saying, for the work is eminently characteristic of you. Thank Heaven, we have at last some artistic work of permanent worth done for the government!"

    It was a small, logical step for Roosevelt to next commission Saint-Gaudens to redesign the nation's coinage, a subject he brought up over dinner at the White House in January 1905. Saint-Gaudens had a backlog of commissions at that time, but this request delivered by the president himself forced coinage designs onto the sculptor's calendar, even if some of work had to be given to assistants in his studio. While the designs were completed prior to the sculptor's death in early August 1907, it was not until the fall of that year that production actually began. Production began to move forward when the president sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury George Cortelyou and stated: "I do not want to wait about those new coins." Chief Engraver Barber had his vacation at Oyster Bay, Long Island interrupted, and High Relief twenties began to be produced the following month

    Here's the letter that seems to have gotten the ball rolling:

    My dear Secretary Shaw:

    I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible, without asking permission of Congress, to employ a man like Saint-Gaudens to give us a coinage that would have some beauty?

    Sincerely yours,

    (Signed) Teddy Roosevelt

    Edit: Link to Heritage Auction

  • goldengolden Posts: 9,560 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A very cool piece!

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great find @messydesk :)

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,673 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 10, 2020 7:30PM

    @Pedzola said:
    Sad to see the coin sliced in half, but cool piece. I wonder what the backstory is. You think it has had a pic of Roosevelt since inception?

    If the process is anything like the trade dollar lockets, it requires two coins to make one locket. Two are independently drilled out oppositely and then married to make one.

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Interesting @Crypto :)

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,099 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Crypto said:

    @Pedzola said:
    Sad to see the coin sliced in half, but cool piece. I wonder what the backstory is. You think it has had a pic of Roosevelt since inception?

    If the process is anything like the trade dollar lockets, it requires two coins to make one locket. They are drilled out to make independently and then married to make one

    Normally yes, but look at the broad ring around the obverse. Looks too broad. Is the diameter of the piece available?

    Without knowing the diameter, I would have to consider the possibility that one High Relief coin was sliced in half, the obverse piece carefully soldered inside a solid ring, and the reverse piece mounted to the back of the ring.

    I wish I could see that edge better. High Relief edges can be identified by their detail. This could be an imitation edge inscription applied to the (hypothetical) hand-made ring, or the (hypothetical) ring could be the rim and edge of a common $20 Saint hollowed out and stretched a bit on a jeweler's ring sizer. Assuming the common $20 was obtained from a bank at face value, the cut out part could be recycled as gold scrap for a net cost of the ring of only a few dollars.

    TD

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,781 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I can not find the diameter :(

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,673 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I don’t know the interior construction looks similar. I’ll concede that was more likely done by a jeweler so at a higher skill but I doubt they reinvented the wheel too dramatically.

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