Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle — 1907 Roman-Date High Relief
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1907
Fine gold: 0.967500 troy oz
United States • 20 U.S. dollars
Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle — Original Regular Relief
Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle — Original Regular Relief has nominal fine gold of 0.9675 troy oz (30.092614 g) at the historical .900 standard. This covers original Arabic-date regular-relief Saint-Gaudens $20 coins. The representative is a 1908-D motto issue; original no-motto reverses also exist.
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- United States
- Face denomination
- 20 U.S. dollars
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
- Gross weight (grams)
- 33.43623756
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.9675
- Diameter (mm)
- 34
- Edge
- Lettered
- Mint
- United States Mint; mint facility varies by issue
- Mint mark
- Varies by issue; inspect reference
- Issue years
- 1907–1916, 1920–1933
No coins were struck in 1917–1919. This is regular relief; 1907 high relief has its own profile. The 1933 dated production was not a general circulation release.
- Source precision
- Nominal 516-grain gross standard; .900 gold; exact modern unit conversion stored to 8 decimals; fine-weight override derived from historical standard. Catalog reference diameter, not a tolerance or authentication threshold.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
Liberty advances with a torch and olive branch, with stars around the border and 1908 at the right. The date uses ordinary Arabic numerals, unlike MCMVII on the 1907 High Relief comparison. The museum example includes a small D near the date.
Reverse: identify the back
An eagle flies above the sun and its rays, under UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY DOLLARS. IN GOD WE TRUST appears at the bottom of this 1908-D representative. Earlier no-motto reverses must be identified separately.
History and purpose
The Mint records the lower-relief Arabic-date form entering production in late 1907. The original design continued as a distinct historical $20 coin, while related Liberty artwork was later adapted for modern Gold Eagles with different specifications.
How to identify this variant
Match the Arabic date, full-length Liberty and flying-eagle reverse. The reviewed 1908-D reference gives 34 mm diameter and a lettered edge. The face photos do not establish edge lettering; compare the actual edge without damaging the coin.
Understanding its metal content
The historical standard is 516 grains gross at .900 fineness. Multiply 516 by .900 and divide by 480 grains per troy ounce: 0.9675 fine-gold troy oz. Gross metric mass is derived using 0.06479891 g per grain; the displayed 33.43623756 g is a conversion of the nominal standard, not an assay or the measured mass of a worn coin. The remaining 10% is alloy metal; historical legislation permitted copper or a copper/silver alloy.
Dates, varieties and composition changes
The broad series span is 1907–1933, with no-motto and motto forms and interrupted production. A claimed exceptional date, especially a final-year example, requires specialist review and provenance. This page does not make a legal-status or ownership determination.
Melt value versus collector value
Keep date, mint mark, original surfaces and documented history together. The standard 0.9675 fine-gold troy oz does not imply an ordinary bullion valuation for a particular issue. No auction price or market premium is inferred from the museum photo.
Authenticity and condition
Compare the date, mint mark, inscriptions, relief, edge and nominal dimensions together. Modern American Gold Eagles share related Liberty imagery but have different denominations and reverse designs. Do not identify a coin from the walking figure alone.
Selling this coin
List original Saint-Gaudens double eagles separately from modern Gold Eagles and the 2009 revival. Photograph the date/mint-mark area and reverse motto state clearly, retaining all holders and provenance for evaluation.
Sources and calculation methodology
The historical Mint report and Coinage Act document nominal gold standards; NIST documents the unit conversions. The fine-weight override retains the result from grains instead of recalculating from a rounded catalog gram weight. Design and date references are separate from photographs. These calculations describe correctly identified genuine coins at standard weight. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. A collector assessment and a purchase offer are separate from metal content.
Common questions
Does this original double eagle contain a full fine-gold ounce?
No. Its historical nominal fine-gold standard is 0.9675 troy oz. A modern one-ounce American Gold Eagle is a different product.
Should every original Saint-Gaudens reverse have IN GOD WE TRUST?
No. Original no-motto issues exist. The pictured 1908-D coin is one motto-bearing representative; inspect the actual issue.
References
- U.S. Mint: Historical gold eagle designs — identity; dates lower-relief Arabic-date design introduced late 1907; design Saint-Gaudens Liberty, flying eagle and lettered edge motto (checked 2026-10-10)
- Historical Coinage Act of 1873, sections 13–14 — weight 516 grains; fineness .900; gold-alloy standard; historical reference, not current legal guidance (checked 2026-10-10)
Issue-year references
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
Related coins
Liberty Head Double Eagle — Type III TWENTY DOLLARS
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1877–1907
Fine gold: 0.967500 troy oz
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