I just thought I would bring your attention to a wonderful article by Eric von Klinger in the August 22, 2005 issue of Coin World on Saint-Gaudens pattern coins. It was well written and chock full of information on how the most beautiful coins ever produced by the US Mint came into being. Saint-Gaudens basically came up with two concepts for the gold coins, one of Liberty Striding (the familiar image from the double eagle) and another head of Liberty. Teddy Roosevelt apparently gave Saint-Gaudens the idea for the Indian headdress, which eventually graced the eagle. The intended design was for the Liberty in the Indian Headdress to be paired with the flying eagle reverse for the double eagle. Two patterns are known of this coin, one in gold sold in 1984 for $467,500, the other is a lead impression held at the American Numusmatic Society. Roosevelt eventually decided on the pairing of the striding liberty with the flying eagle reverse for the double eagle, becoming the familiar Saint we know today. There were several additions that Saint-Gaudens added, which were unusual for US coins, including the date in Roman numerals. He also wanted to add the word "justice" but that was rejected. The original "ultra high-relief" patterns were struck as the sculptor and Roosevelt intended. Unfortunately Saint-Gaudens was gravely ill with intestinal cancer in late 1906, so his assistant Henry Hering finished the plaster models and delivered them to the mint in December 1906. In a later account in the Numismatist in 1949, he said he deliberately made the relief so high that it couldn't possibly be achieved in a singe strike. Though his memory was uncertain, he mentioned in that article that a hydraulic pressure of 172 tons was used and it took nine stampings for all the details to be brought up! The Judd book differs, saying it took seven strikes at 150 tons to create these patterns. In any case, after five pieces were struck, the dies broke. Of these five, four had edge lettering of "E Pluribus Unum" with a star after each letter, while the fifth had a plain edge. With the challenge of striking, someone came up with an idea of using a smaller diameter, and they used a planchet of $10 diameter with extra thickness to create the required $20 weight. The Judd book states that at least 16 of these patterns were struck, all with a lettered edge. Akers stated in 1975 that two such patterns were in the Smithsonian, and a third was believed to exist based on reports that the New York Numismatic Society at one time owned it and displayed it at the Metropolitan Museum in 1908. Given the relief and striking issues, Charles E. Barber, then Mint Chief Engraver, believed they could produce at most 400 per day of the UHR coins on the medal press. Hence, Barber modified the relief and 11,250 HR coins were struck, which statisfied Roosevelt. Unfortunately Saint-Gaudens died before this, and only saw his UHR pattern to reality. Later in 1907, Barber again lowered the relief and changed the date to Arabic numerals, which remained until the series ended in 1933. In 1908, by act of Congress, the Motto "In God We Trust" was added to the reverse, despite Roosevelt's contention that it was blasphemous. Despite the lowering of the relief, the average Saint has more beauty and higher relief than any of our coins today, which look more like slugs by comparison. Thus was the genesis of the Saint-Gaudens double eagle. I only wish the article delved more deeply into the Saint-Gaudens eagle design. Still, my favorite quote from the article (which I think I'll add to my signature line) was said by Roosevelt to Treasury Secretary Leslie Morimer Shaw on December 27, 1904, "I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness." It's even more true today!

How did I miss this one the first time around?!?!?!

Good info and I like that quote. Too bad we don't have someone like TR to singhandedly change things again.

Interesting read.

indeed...