2009 Ultra-High Relief Double Eagles
Have you heard the buzz? One of the world's most renowned, beautiful, loved, and popular coin designs of all time is coming back, and it could be yours soon.
The 2009 Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle, a design hearkening back a century, is being revived on a gold coin to be released by the U.S. Mint.
The design is a nearly complete reproduction of the Augustus Saint-Gaudens design that was first struck in 1907. President Theodore Roosevelt had commissioned Saint-Gaudens, a well-respected artist, to create new designs for United States coins, and the double eagle (a $20 gold coin) was one of the coins Saint-Gaudens designed.
While the Saint-Gaudens design was used for the double eagle from 1907 through 1933, it is some rare, "extremely high relief" examples of the 1907 double eagle that have attracted so much attention over the decades. That double extremely high relief eagle design is now the subject of reproduction.
High vs Regular Relief
"High relief" refers to the depth, or thickness of the raised parts of a coin design.
Some other U.S. coins have been made over the years with a notably high relief, such as the 1921 Peace dollar.
In the case of the 1907 Saint-Gaudens double eagle, part of the vision at the time was to create a coin with a very high relief. However, there was no way back then to produce large numbers of coins with a relief as high as President Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens had envisioned. Most 1907 double eagles, and all made thereafter, feature a "regular relief" typical of most U.S. coinage.
Will The 2009 Double Eagle Differ From The 1907 Double Eagle?
While the 2009 double eagle may look very much like what Saint-Gaudens and Roosevelt had been hoping to see produced by the millions, there will be a few modifications to the new double eagle:
Four more stars will be included on the obverse (front) side of the coin. Why? Because the Union has added 4 new states since 1907.
- "In God We Trust" will be added to the reverse (back) of the new Saint-Gaudens coin.
There will be a small border on the 2009 double eagles.
Facts About Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle Coins
The 2009 Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle contains a composition that contains one troy ounce of 24-karat, .9999-pure gold.
The new coin will be 27 millimeters in diameter and measure an incredible 4 millimeters thick.
The edge will contain lettering that says "E Pluribus Unum with each letter divided by a star.
The date will be in Roman numerals. The U.S. Mint's West Point, New York facility will produce the 2009 ultra-high relief double eagle, which was authorized by Public Law 31 U.S.C. § 5112(i)(4).
How Much Will Double Eagles Cost?
The U.S. Mint's website states the price of the new 2009 Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle "will depend, in part, on prevailing world gold prices."
When released in early 2009, you will be able to buy it from the United States Mint.
To learn more about the 2009 Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle, check out the press release from the U.S. Mint.
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