1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, PR69

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1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, PR69
Saint-Gaudens' Numismatic Masterpiece
Landmark Gold Rarity, Tied for Finest Known
Ex: Eliasberg-Bass

1907 $20 Ultra High Relief, Inverted Edge Lettering, PR69 PCGS. Judd-1909, Pollock-2003, JD-4, High R.7. Ex: Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection. Not only are the 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagles among the rarest and most valuable coins in the U.S. series, their classic beauty and artistic appeal set them apart from any other numismatic issue. Sponsored by President Theodore Roosevelt, the coins were designed by America's greatest sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and were the only version of his iconic design that the artist was able to see in coin form before his untimely death. In the words of Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth, "Perhaps no other U.S. coin, or world coin for that matter, has the visual appeal of the Ultra High Relief." We have identified 20 examples in our roster of known specimens below, but five of those coins are included in institutional collections at the Smithsonian Institution, the American Numismatic Society, and the Connecticut State Library. Heritage Auctions is privileged to present this virtually unimprovable PR69 specimen from the prestigious Harry Bass Core Collection in just its third auction appearance.

Genesis of Saint-Gaudens' Masterpiece
The story of the collaboration between President Theodore Roosevelt and prominent sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens that kick started the Renaissance of American Coinage is well known to most numismatists. We quote the following from the description of the Ultra High Relief in lot 3802 of our February 2021 catalog of the Paramount Collection:

"Though justly famous as an avid outdoorsman, President Theodore Roosevelt pursued art and history with equal fervor. He became acquainted with gifted sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens at an early date and, after viewing some ancient Greek coinage in the Smithsonian Institution, he became determined to overhaul the U.S. coinage system, which was dominated at the time by the uninspiring, but practical, designs of Chief Engraver Charles Barber. In a December 27, 1904-dated letter to Secretary of the Treasury Leslie Mortier Shaw, Roosevelt famously noted, 'I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible to employ a man like Saint-Gaudens to give us a coinage that would have some beauty?' Assured that some suitable arrangement could be made, Roosevelt broached the subject of coin design with Saint-Gaudens at a White House dinner on January 12, 1905. Saint-Gaudens shared the president's high regard for the beautiful high relief coinage of the ancient Greeks and was understandably flattered by Roosevelt's offer to put him in charge of the project. He had some important reservations, however. Saint-Gaudens had a long history of bad relations with Barber, and he was leery of working with him. He was also quite busy with other projects and his health was declining, due to stomach cancer. After assurances from Roosevelt that he would run interference with Mint personnel and brook no obstruction from Barber, Saint-Gaudens agreed to undertake the redesign of the American coinage system.

"Unfortunately, Saint-Gaudens' health was worse than anyone realized at the time and his understanding of coin production was limited. Accordingly, progress on the new designs was slow. Saint-Gaudens settled on a striding figure of Liberty for the obverse of the double eagle, adapted from the figure in his Sherman monument, combined with the Nike of Samothrace in the Louvre. The reverse was inspired by Christian Gobrecht's old Flying Eagle design. In a classical touch, the date was expressed in Roman numerals. The design elements were modelled in high relief, like their ancient Greek counterparts. Despite the artistic appeal of his design, Saint-Gaudens spent two years modifying it with various additions like wings and a headdress for Liberty, before settling on the final version. By May of 1906, the design of the double eagle was far enough along for Saint-Gaudens to hand off much of the work on it to his talented assistant, Henry Hering. After many trials and tribulations, the first plaster models for the double eagle design were delivered to the White House on December 15, 1906. In his typical outspoken fashion, Roosevelt called the designs 'simply immense' and ordered dies made for production as soon as possible."

Preparing the Dies
Saint-Gaudens' plaster models for the double eagle were finished in December 1906 and immediately approved by President Roosevelt. The Philadelphia Mint had purchased a new Janvier reducing lathe in November in order to make coin-sized hubs from the 13-inch plaster models. Unfortunately, none of the Mint personnel were familiar enough with the complicated machinery to accomplish the task. Accordingly, Chief Engraver Charles Barber had Henri Weil, an expert who had trained with Janvier et Duval in Paris, come to the Mint for a week to help cut the hubs and provide on-the-job training for the Mint personnel. This was soon accomplished and one pair of dies was ready for production on February 7, 1907.

Striking the Coins
The coins were struck in three different striking periods and featured four different edge treatments. A total of one obverse and two reverse dies was needed to accomplish the mintage, paired with two different lettered edge collars in different orientations. The coins were struck as experimental pieces and are listed in the leading pattern reference as Judd-1907, Judd-1908, and Judd-1909. Each coin had to be struck seven times on the medal press with a setting of 150 tons of pressure to completely bring up the design. The planchets were paired with a blank edge collar for the first six blows of the medal press, with the lettered edge applied on the seventh strike. The proto-coins were annealed between each blow of the press and bathed in a nitric acid solution that eliminated much of the copper alloy, leaving a thin layer of virtually pure gold on the surface. This gave the coins a vibrant yellow-gold appearance unlike any other issue.

The first striking period was from February 7 through February 14, 1907. Records indicate only three complete coins were struck during this time frame, along with a fourth piece that lacked the edge lettering, at least three incomplete strikings in gold, a complete lead die trial, and some copper electrotypes that were produced between each blow of the press for Saint-Gaudens to study. One of the complete gold coins cannot be accounted for today. An article in the August 1920 issue of The Numismatist quoted Mint Director Frank Leach saying that two examples of the Ultra High Relief were destroyed in testing, so it is possible that coin was one of those pieces. The dies were paired with the same collar that had been used to strike Barber's 1906 twenty dollar pattern, Judd-1773. This tripartite collar imparted the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM to the edge of the coin, using Sans Serif, or Gothic letters, with a star placed between each letter. The collar was oriented so the inscription read correctly when the obverse of the coin was face up, rather than the more natural orientation that would have made the inscription read correctly while arching over the obverse design when turned on its side. The unique Plain Edge example shows a heavy die crack on the reverse. Numismatists believe the reverse die failed after this coin was struck for the sixth time, so it never received the seventh blow with the lettered edge collar.

Using the information gleaned from striking the coins in the first striking period, Saint-Gaudens and his assistant, Henry Hering, began work on a second version of the double eagle design that would be more practical for coinage operations. This resulted in the beautiful, but still impractical, regular High Relief design. Meanwhile, Mint Director George Roberts instructed Barber to strike two more Ultra High Reliefs for the Mint Cabinet. When Barber notified him that the reverse die had failed, Roberts authorized the manufacture of a new die and the second striking period (March-July, 1907) began. Approximately 12-14 coins were produced for various officials during this period.

In addition to the new reverse die, the coins from the second and third striking periods used a new collar, with Roman style letters and the stars were used to separate the different words in the motto. Surprisingly, the orientation of the edge lettering varies on the coins from these striking periods. At least five of the 17 known examples from these periods (including the present coin) show the same Inverted Edge Lettering orientation found on the Sans Serif coins from the first striking period. It makes sense to think the Mint would continue with the previous orientation when the new striking period began, only switching to the more natural Normal Edge Lettering orientation later, perhaps at the request of someone like Henry Hering or Roosevelt, who found the arrangement more appealing. This is only speculation, however, and the edge lettering might have been applied in a more random fashion during this time frame. Some examples have not been examined in many years and it is possible that some of them have been incorrectly attributed, since the Inverted Edge Lettering was first noticed in 1985. The present coin is a case in point. It was last auctioned in 1982, before the different edge lettering was discovered, and was consistently listed as a Normal Edge Lettering example in prior rosters. It was only when the coin was examined and certified for this auction appearance that the Inverted Edge Lettering orientation was noted.

Saint-Gaudens died of cancer on August 3, 1907 and the Mint shifted focus to other issues, like the new Indian eagle, and the regular High Relief and Arabic Numerals double eagles, after July. Little more was done with the Ultra High Reliefs until the very end of the year. When newly appointed Mint Director Frank Leach was shown the Ultra High Relief example owned by former Director Robert Preston in early December, he was quite impressed by it. Leach ordered Barber to strike another four examples of the issue for himself, Treasury Secretary George Cortelyou, President Roosevelt, and Augusta Saint-Gaudens, the artist's widow, on December 31, 1907. Since Augusta Saint-Gaudens only received her coin from the Mint Cabinet in 1908, it may be that the piece intended for her was the other example destroyed in testing. Before the present coin was correctly attributed, it was thought that there were only four Ultra High Reliefs with Inverted Edge Lettering, neatly matching the number of coins from this third striking period. Many numismatists naturally concluded that the Inverted Edge Lettering coins must have been the coins struck on December 31. However, now that there are at least five examples with this die/collar orientation, that theory seems invalid and we cannot neatly determine whether a particular coin was struck in period 2 or 3.

The Coins Are Dispersed
No mintage figures for the Ultra High Relief double eagle were recorded, but it seems likely that the 20 coins in the roster below represent the net mintage for the issue, after two examples were destroyed in the Mint in 1907. President Roosevelt ordered that "coins struck from the high relief experimental dies" would be available to collectors who requested them, but virtually all of the Ultra High Relief double eagles were initially distributed to government officials or Mint personnel. Chief Engraver Charles Barber bitterly resented the hiring of an artist from outside the Mint to design the coin and loudly protested its impractical high relief design during the striking process, but he must have come to appreciate its profound artistic beauty. After his death in 1917, an inventory of his collection revealed that he had acquired no less than eight specimens of the Ultra High Relief double eagle for his holdings. Other original owners included former and current Mint Directors Robert Preston, George Roberts, and Frank Leach, who all secured one example. President Roosevelt had two and Treasury Secretary George B. Cortelyou had one. The Mint Cabinet initially had two examples, but later gave one to Augusta Saint-Gaudens in 1908. This list accounts for 16 of the 20 known examples and their original owners.

A few examples were reportedly offered by Mint or Treasury officials immediately after striking for prices up to $500. Baltimore numismatist Waldo Newcomer acquired a specimen in this manner and it is possible the present coin has a similar origin. Unfortunately, because most of the early transactions were conducted privately, there are many gaps in the pedigree chains and it is difficult to definitively trace some of the known examples back to their original owners (see roster below). The Ultra High Reliefs have always commanded extraordinary premiums on the rare occasions when one was publicly offered. The record price realized at auction belongs to the ex: Norweb PR68 (then NGC, now PCGS) example from lot 3802 of the Paramount Collection (Heritage, 2/2021) that brought $3,600,000.

The Present Coin
The coin offered here was the first example to be publicly offered when it appeared in lot 1755b of the Mathieu, Townsend, et al. Collections (Thomas Elder, 11/1920):

"The Noted Roosevelt First Issue $20 Gold Coin. The first, we believe ever offered at auction. This must not be confused with the wire edge $20. This is the exceedingly rare one with the edge of double thickness and the 'deep dished center.' It is a perfectly finished coin in every respect, no ragged edges, a beautifully struck example with lettered edge. It is perfection. This is the coin which Theodore Roosevelt praised so highly to me in a letter making the first mention made of the first issues of $10 and $20 in 1905, when I was secretary of the Coinage Committee of the American Numismatic Society, which drew up the set of resolutions and submitted them to Mr. Roosevelt with a view to improving our coinage artistically. On this committee were Dr. Geo. F. Kuntz, Victor D. Brenner, Daniel Parish, Jr., and others. Of this first issue not over sixteen specimens were struck. Furthermore, an official who saw this example pronounced it the very finest one in existence. Sales at up to $1,100 have been made for this coin. A new record price for this magnificent uncirculated example should be made at this sale. It is one of the most celebrated of American coins."

Elder seems to have been well informed about the origins of the Ultra High Relief double eagle, though his mintage figures only cover the coins from the first and second striking periods. Although some early auction listings referred to the Ultra High Reliefs as "Uncirculated," they are currently certified as proofs, because of both their appearance and method of manufacture.

The coin in Elder's sale was purchased by prominent Washington, D.C. collector John H. Clapp. Clapp retained this coin, along with the rest of his remarkable collection, until his death in 1940. Clapp's estate sold the entire collection to Baltimore financier and avid coin collector Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. through Stack's in 1942 for a price in excess of $100,000, one of the largest numismatic transactions on record up to that time. After acquiring Clapp's holdings, Eliasberg went on to compile a complete collection of U.S. federal coinage by date, mintmark, and major variety, the only collector to ever accomplish that feat. Like Clapp, Eliasberg maintained his collection until his death in 1976. His heirs sold the United States gold portion of his collection through a legendary auction by Bowers and Ruddy in October 1982. This coin received a two-page lot description where it was called, "A superb specimen of one of the most famous of all American coin rarities and one of the most beautiful that exists today." The lot realized $242,000, a landmark price at the time, to noted U.S. gold specialist Harry W. Bass, Jr. It has been off the market ever since. As part of the Harry Bass Core Collection, it was exhibited at the Edward E. Rochette Money Museum at ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs until 2022.

Physical Description
The 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagle has few peers in terms of rarity, collector demand, and sheer artistic beauty. This magnificent PR69 specimen is just one tick away from technical perfection. The impeccably preserved yellow-gold surfaces show myriad swirling die lines in the fields that are characteristic of this issue, with highlights of olive iridescence in selected areas. Vibrant satiny mint luster mixes with subtle hints of semiprooflike reflectivity in the fields. The almost three-dimensional sculptural design elements exhibit razor-sharp definition throughout and overall eye appeal is simply stunning. This coin offers an irresistible combination of absolute rarity, the highest available technical quality, outstanding aesthetic beauty, and an illustrious pedigree to the prestigious Eliasberg and Bass collections. It has not been publicly offered in more than 40 years and it may be decades before a comparable example becomes available. We expect intense competition from series specialists, advanced pattern collectors, and Registry Set enthusiasts when this lot is called. This coin is pictured on PCGS CoinFacts. The 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagle is listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins. Population (Inverted Edge Lettering variety): 1 in 69, 0 finer (4/23).

Roster of MCMVII Ultra High Relief Double Eagles. The coins were produced in three different striking periods, with four different edge treatments (the Plain Edge specimen would have exhibited the Sans Serif Edge Lettering of the other coins from the first striking period, but the reverse die broke while striking this piece and the edge lettering, which was usually impressed during the final blow from the coining press, was never applied). Grades are per the last auction appearance, unless a subsequent certification event is known, or Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth, in the case of the Smithsonian coins. It is likely that some coins have been submitted, or resubmitted, to the grading services since their last auction appearance. This roster, compiled by David Stone and Mark Borckardt, would not be possible without the assistance and cooperation of Roger Burdette, John Dannreuther, Ellen Feingold, Jeff Garrett, Ron Guth, David Hill, Saul Teichman, and Ute Wartenberg-Kagan.

First Striking Period (February 7-14, 1907)
Judd-1907, Pollock-2001, JD-2
Edge Lettered E*P*L*U*R*I*B*U*S*U*N*U*M*
1. Philadelphia Signature Specimen, PR58 PCGS. New York Sale (Sotheby's, 12/1992), lot 837, realized $143,000; Morrison/Licht Collection (Stack's, 3/2005), lot 1538, realized $488,750; Southern Collection; Samuel Berngard/S.S. New York Collection (Stack's, 7/2008), lot 4242; 74th Anniversary Sale (Stack's, 11/2009), lot 1983; Philadelphia Signature (Heritage, 8/2012), lot 5434, realized $1,057,500; Coin and Medals Auction (Bonhams, 12/2014), lot 1508. Edge lettering inverted, discovery coin with Sans Serif style of 1906.
2. Sotheby's June Specimen, Impaired Proof, AU (uncertified). United States and Foreign Coins (Sotheby's, 6/1995), lot 485. Edge lettering inverted, Sans Serif style of 1906.

Judd-1908, Pollock-2000, JD-1 - Plain Edge
3. Captain North Specimen, PR68 (per John Dannreuther). Possibly Chief Engraver Charles Barber; Captain Andrew North cased set; Stack's exhibited the case at the 1956 ANA convention; private collection; Stack's again offered the set in 1980; set purchased by NERCG for $1,000,000; double eagle purchased by John Dannreuther at the 1981 ANA Convention for $215,000; private treaty sale to United States Coin Exchange (Pat Brewer) for $235,000; on consignment to JDRC (John Dannreuther) at $300,000 in 1984; Jim Jelinski, private treaty sale, circa 1983-1984, at $310,000; East Coast Saint-Gaudens collector. Unique specimen with Plain Edge.
USPatterns.com notes: "Research by Roger Burdette in the Mint Archives has noted that, at the time the reverse die cracked, 3 complete gold, 1 complete lead and at least 3 partially struck pieces in addition to this virtually complete piece had been struck. This specific piece is actually a mint error as opposed to being a deliberate pattern. The ultra-high relief required 7 strikings from the die to bring up the detail. The early strikings for each piece were done using a plain edge collar. The lettered edge collar was only employed on the very last striking. This example never received that last striking with the lettered edge collar probably due to the reverse die breaking. Electrotypes showing the increased detail after each striking are in the American Numismatic Society and can be seen in later editions of Judd through the 7th edition."

Second Striking Period (March-July, 1907) and Third Striking Period (December 31, 1907)
Judd-1909, Pollock-2003 (Formerly Judd-1778), JD-4 -- Inverted Edge Lettering
Edge Lettered E*PLURIBUS*UNUM***********
Note: The Sans Serif coins from the first striking period (Judd-1907, JD-2)) were struck using the same collar used to strike Barber's 1906 pattern double eagle, with the edge lettering inverted (read properly with the obverse facing up). While the further emission sequence is not certain, it is possible that the Mint initially followed the same die/collar orientation when they resumed coinage with the new collar during the second striking period. This would indicate that the coins with Inverted Edge Lettering were the first coins struck during this time frame.
4. Eliasberg-Bass Specimen, PR69 PCGS. Mathieu, Townsend, et al. Collections (Thomas Elder, 11/1920), lot 1755b; John H. Clapp; Clapp estate; Louis Eliasberg, Sr. in 1942, via Stack's; Eliasberg estate; United States Gold Coin Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 1021, realized $242,000; Mike Brownlee; Harry W. Bass, Jr.; Harry Bass Core Collection, HBCC-1040. The present coin.
5. Saint-Gaudens Family Specimen, PR68 PCGS. Mint Cabinet in 1907; presented to Augusta Saint-Gaudens in 1908, by order of President Theodore Roosevelt; loaned to the American Numismatic Society on December 1, 1910; exhibited at the 1914 ANS Exhibition; withdrawn by Homer Saint-Gaudens in 1950; private family collection; sold to another private collector circa 1976; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2015), lot 4412, realized $2,115,000.
6. Bloomfield Specimen, PR68 PCGS. A-Mark (Steve Markoff); Bowers and Ruddy Galleries; Abe Kosoff; Sam Bloomfield; Sam and Rie Bloomfield Foundation Collection (Sotheby's, 12/1996), lot 60, realized $825,000; Dwight Manley; Southern Collection; John Albanese; Midwest collector.
7. Barber Specimen, Proof 65+ (uncertified). Chief Engraver Charles Barber; Captain Andrew North cased set; exhibited by Stack's at the 1956 ANA Convention; private collection; Stack's again in 1980 FPL; set purchased by NERCG for $1 million; Boston Jubilee (New England Rare Coin Galleries, 7/1980), lot 323; Julian Leidman (Jeff Garrett and John Dannreuther purchased ¼ interest for $71,250 after the sale); Hugh Sconyers; Auction '85 (Superior, 7/1985), lot 983, realized $286,000; Ira Einhorn; purchased by Warren Trepp in 1990 for $1.5 million; Kevin Lipton; Blanchard & Co.; private collection.
8. Farouk Specimen, PR65 (uncertified). "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Stack's; King Farouk; Palace Collections of Egypt (Sotheby's, 2/1954), lot 296; Abe Kosoff; Abe Kosoff Collection (Bowers and Merena, 11/1985), lot 848, realized $264,000.

Judd-1909, Pollock-2002 (Formerly Judd-1778), JD-3 - Normal Edge Lettering
Edge Lettered E*PLURIBUS*UNUM***********
9. Wilkison Specimen, PR69 PCGS. ANA Convention Auction (Jim Kelly, 8/1956), lot 1773; Dr. John E. Wilkison; Paramount; A-Mark; Auction '80 (Paramount, 8/1980), lot 977; Ed Trompeter; Trompeter estate; Heritage Auctions private sale in 1999; Phillip Morse Collection (Heritage, 11/2005), lot 6522, realized $2,990,000; Madison Collection; private collector; Baltimore Sale (Stack's Bowers, 6/2012), lot 6522, realized $2,820,000 to Steve Contursi and Don Kagin; Rarities Auction (Stack's Bowers, 5/2015), lot 93, did not sell.
10. Norweb Specimen, PR68 PCGS. Albert Holden, circa 1907-1911; Emery May Holden Norweb; R. Henry Norweb, Jr.; Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 1/1997), lot 353, realized $660,000; Dwight Manley; Ariagno Collection (Goldberg Auctions, 5/1999), lot 885, realized $1,210,000; Tangible Assets, Inc.; Benson Collection, Part III (Goldberg Auctions, 2/2003), lot 2178, realized $1,150,000; Ira and Larry Goldberg; Canadian collector; Paramount Collection (Heritage, 2/2021), lot 3802, realized $3,600,000.
11. Bell Specimen, PR68 PCGS. Possibly "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; B.G. Johnson on consignment; sold to Jacob Shapiro (a.k.a. J.F. Bell) on 1/4/1944 for $1,500; J.F. Bell Collection (Stack's, 12/1944), lot 867A; C.T. Weihman; Monex Rare Coins; Ira and Larry Goldberg; West Coast collector; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2007), lot 3258, realized $1,840,000; Simpson Collection.
12. Mint Cabinet Specimen, PR67 (uncertified). Mint Cabinet in 1907; National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution. Grade per Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth. Note: The edge lettering on this specimen has not been confirmed. It might possibly have inverted edge lettering.
13. Roosevelt Specimen, PR66 (uncertified). Theodore Roosevelt, Cornelius Van Schaak Roosevelt; National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution in 1962. Grade per Garrett and Guth.
14. Lilly Specimen, PR65 (uncertified). Robert Schermerhorn; Stack's; Josiah K. Lilly; Lilly estate; National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution in 1968. Grade per Garrett and Guth.
15. Yale University Specimen, Gem Proof (uncertified). Yale University; Empire Coin Company in 1960; Abner Kreisberg; Lichtenfels/Linder Collections (Kreisberg/Schulman, 2/1961), lot 1417, realized $18,250; Primary Bartle Collection (Stack's, 10/1985), lot 822.
16. Browning Specimen, Gem Proof (uncertified). H. Jeff Browning; Dallas Bank Collection (Sotheby's/Stack's, 10/2001), lot 50, realized $690,000; Spectrum Numismatics; John Albanese; private collector. Possibly a later appearance of the Ulmer coin in number 17 below.
17. Ullmer Specimen, Proof (uncertified). Theodore Roosevelt; Daniel J. Terra; Theodore Ulmer Collection (Stack's, 5/1974), lot 546, realized $200,000; Manfra, Tordella and Brookes.
18. ANS Specimen, Proof (uncertified). Chief Engraver Charles Barber; Arthur J. Fecht; American Numismatic Society (on loan since 1945, but did not become the property of the ANS until after the death of Fecht's sister in 1979). ANS accession number 1980.109.2119.
19. Mitchelson Specimen, Proof (uncertified). Joseph Mitchelson; Connecticut State Library in 1913.
20. Stack's June Specimen, Proof (uncertified). Public Auction Sale (Stack's, 6/1979), lot 781; realized $225,000; Kagin's.

Other Appearances
A. A specimen in the possession of Mint Director George E. Roberts in 1907. Sans Serif Edge Lettering, possibly the coin in number 1 or 2 above.
B. A specimen in the possession of former Mint Director Robert Preston in 1907. Sans Serif Edge Lettering, possibly the coin in number 1 or 2 above.
C. A coin examined by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and returned to President Roosevelt on March 13, 1907. Sans Serif Edge Lettering, possibly the coin in number 1 or 2 above.
D. A specimen in the possession of Mint Director Frank Leach in December 1907.
E. A specimen in the possession of Secretary of the Treasury George Courtelyou in December 1907.
F. Jerome Kern Collection (B. Max Mehl, 5/1950), lot 626, realized $3,800.
G. According to F.C.C. Boyd's inventory of his collection, "Colonel" E.H.R. Green owned four Ultra High Relief double eagles, including the two coins specifically attributed to him above. B.G. Johnson's invoices suggest one coin went to J.F. Bell (see number 11 above). The other three went from Johnson to Carl Brandts, Jim Kelly, and B. Max Mehl, all on 1/3/1944 and all priced at $1,250. It has not been possible to directly link these three coins to any of the specimens in the main roster, but one of them must account for the Farouk-Kosoff specimen in number 8 above.
H. According to the inventory of his collection, taken in late 1916, Chief Engraver Charles Barber owned another five specimens in addition to the three coins specifically attributed to him above.
I. According to Wayte Raymond's appraisal of the Newcomer collection, Waldo Newcomer owned two examples, one purchased from Charles Barber's collection for $500 and another from an unnamed source for $350. John Dannreuther notes one of these may be the Wilkison specimen in number 9 above.
J. A specimen owned by Mr. Frank J. Hein of St. Louis, Missouri in 1920, pictured in an article in the August 1920 issue of The Numismatist; Hein Family Collection, offered at the 2000 ANA convention by sealed bid, unsold.(Registry values: N1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26EX, PCGS# 9131)

Weight: 33.44 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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