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By Mike Fuljenz
The Ultimate
That’s the goal we mortals strive to attain in myriad fields of endeavor. To climb the highest mountain … run the fastest race … pitch a perfect game … draw a royal flush – these are the kinds of accomplishments few of us ever achieve but most of us aspire to, every now and then, if only in dreams and fantasies.
In the world of collectible coins, there are dozens of superstars – gold pieces, silver dollars and even nickels and cents – that command small fortunes (and sometimes very large ones) because of their great rarity, exceptional condition, unusual historical importance and often combinations of these attributes. But many numismatists agree that one stands alone as the brightest star of all – the single most desirable prize in the realm of coins. In short, the ultimate.
That stunning supernova is the 1907 Indian Head double eagle, the rarest, most majestic example of the dazzling gold coinage designed by famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. This coin – a unique proof pattern struck in extremely high relief – is the only example that shows the artist’s work exactly the way he meant it to appear. Intriguingly, it’s a composite of the two coins Uncle Sam issued bearing the artist’s designs: the beautiful Indian Head eagle, or $10 gold piece, and the elegant Striding Liberty double eagle, or $20 gold piece.
Patterns have been described as “might-have-been” coins. Generally speaking, a pattern is a coin struck by a government mint to demonstrate something new – a new design or inscription or perhaps a new denomination – and typically, though not always, struck in the same metal intended for use on regular coins of that type. Patterns carry a statement of value, but are not legal tender because they were never monetized.
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