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Lot 1019
1910 $10 PF-67★ NGC Augustus Saint-Gaudens, designer; Henry Hering modeler; modified by Charles Barber
Obverse: Head of Liberty left, wearing feathered war bonnet; the band inscribed: LIBERTY. Thirteen stars above; below bust: 1910.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on bundle of arrows entwined with a laurel branch; above, UNITED•STATES•OF•AMERICA; below, TEN•DOLLARS; to left, IN / GOD WE / TRUST, in three lines; to right, E / PLURIBUS / UNUM, in three lines.
Edge: Forty-six stars.
Condition: NGC Proof 67★ (Certificate number: 1963253-011 – Photo Proof 10-07; previous Photo Proof 01-07, without star [number 3025847-010]).
A superb, clear strike with essentially flawless surfaces. An orangey red-gold accentuates this near perfection. The rims perfectly squared without defects. A small shadow before the chin and nose of Liberty, as well as a toning spot between the legs of the R in DOLLARS are identifiers, as is a mint-caused 'smudge' below the last A in AMERICA.
References: Breen (Encyclopedia) 7111; Breen (Proofs) pp. 213; Akers (1980) p.268-269; Garrett and Guth (Encyclopedia) p. 420; United States Mint, Operating Records, "Medal Book," 1906-1916, NARA, Philadelphia. (PCGS 8892).
Condition Census: One of the finest known. Although NGC lists a total of seven pieces at the Proof 67 level, only one (this example) bears the star designation; one other, marginally finer, bears both the plus and star designations; PCGS has graded only a single specimen this fine. (07-13)
Rarity: Extremely rare. Guth and Garrett consider this to be the second rarest of the Saint-Gaudens proof eagle series. Akers didn't hazard an estimate of known survivors, but thought the reported mintage [204] was an error because of the extreme rarity of known pieces. Again references quoted above record the incorrect mintage. The United States Mint's Medal Book records the following: 50 examples struck in January (only 42 accepted); 63 in March (55 accepted); 58 in May (56 made the cut); and 100 in August (97 recorded as 'good'). So, the total struck was 271 pieces but only 250 passed quality control. The number melted or sold is currently unknown, but it should be remembered that the 'satin' finish was to many so similar to a business strike that it is highly possible that numerous proofs found their way into circulation.
Provenance: The Tacasyl Collection; possibly The Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection, Stack's, January 18-21, 1984, lot 813 ($33,000).
Note: Saint-Gaudens's Indian head eagle in many ways is the culmination of his artistic life, and the dying artist thought nothing of borrowing from himself. The profile of Liberty (as an Indian maiden) is for all intents and purposes identical to the face of Victory on his monumental Sherman monument. Reduced bronze figures of Victory were cast for sale, as were heads of Victory, and in 1905 the effigy was again reproduced as a plaquette. The reverse eagle is freely borrowed from the Saint-Gaudens designed, and Adolph Weinman modeled inaugural medal for Theodore Roosevelt (and which is itself a conscious re-creation of the standing eagles found on Ptolemaic coinage of third to first century B.C. Egypt). The elements all blended together well and struck examples of the design, though not yet in its final form, were sent to Saint-Gaudens on July 28, 1907. He sent the Mint a check to cover their cost (Saint-Gaudens never purchased any of his double eagle design) and it was the last of his work he saw prior to his death on August 3, 1907.
Obverse: Head of Liberty left, wearing feathered war bonnet; the band inscribed: LIBERTY. Thirteen stars above; below bust: 1910.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on bundle of arrows entwined with a laurel branch; above, UNITED•STATES•OF•AMERICA; below, TEN•DOLLARS; to left, IN / GOD WE / TRUST, in three lines; to right, E / PLURIBUS / UNUM, in three lines.
Edge: Forty-six stars.
Condition: NGC Proof 67★ (Certificate number: 1963253-011 – Photo Proof 10-07; previous Photo Proof 01-07, without star [number 3025847-010]).
A superb, clear strike with essentially flawless surfaces. An orangey red-gold accentuates this near perfection. The rims perfectly squared without defects. A small shadow before the chin and nose of Liberty, as well as a toning spot between the legs of the R in DOLLARS are identifiers, as is a mint-caused 'smudge' below the last A in AMERICA.
References: Breen (Encyclopedia) 7111; Breen (Proofs) pp. 213; Akers (1980) p.268-269; Garrett and Guth (Encyclopedia) p. 420; United States Mint, Operating Records, "Medal Book," 1906-1916, NARA, Philadelphia. (PCGS 8892).
Condition Census: One of the finest known. Although NGC lists a total of seven pieces at the Proof 67 level, only one (this example) bears the star designation; one other, marginally finer, bears both the plus and star designations; PCGS has graded only a single specimen this fine. (07-13)
Rarity: Extremely rare. Guth and Garrett consider this to be the second rarest of the Saint-Gaudens proof eagle series. Akers didn't hazard an estimate of known survivors, but thought the reported mintage [204] was an error because of the extreme rarity of known pieces. Again references quoted above record the incorrect mintage. The United States Mint's Medal Book records the following: 50 examples struck in January (only 42 accepted); 63 in March (55 accepted); 58 in May (56 made the cut); and 100 in August (97 recorded as 'good'). So, the total struck was 271 pieces but only 250 passed quality control. The number melted or sold is currently unknown, but it should be remembered that the 'satin' finish was to many so similar to a business strike that it is highly possible that numerous proofs found their way into circulation.
Provenance: The Tacasyl Collection; possibly The Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection, Stack's, January 18-21, 1984, lot 813 ($33,000).
Note: Saint-Gaudens's Indian head eagle in many ways is the culmination of his artistic life, and the dying artist thought nothing of borrowing from himself. The profile of Liberty (as an Indian maiden) is for all intents and purposes identical to the face of Victory on his monumental Sherman monument. Reduced bronze figures of Victory were cast for sale, as were heads of Victory, and in 1905 the effigy was again reproduced as a plaquette. The reverse eagle is freely borrowed from the Saint-Gaudens designed, and Adolph Weinman modeled inaugural medal for Theodore Roosevelt (and which is itself a conscious re-creation of the standing eagles found on Ptolemaic coinage of third to first century B.C. Egypt). The elements all blended together well and struck examples of the design, though not yet in its final form, were sent to Saint-Gaudens on July 28, 1907. He sent the Mint a check to cover their cost (Saint-Gaudens never purchased any of his double eagle design) and it was the last of his work he saw prior to his death on August 3, 1907.
23 September 2013, 10:00 PDT
Los AngelesSold for US$149,760 inc. premium
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1910 $10 PF-67★ NGC
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, designer; Henry Hering modeler; modified by Charles Barber
Obverse: Head of Liberty left, wearing feathered war bonnet; the band inscribed: LIBERTY. Thirteen stars above; below bust: 1910.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on bundle of arrows entwined with a laurel branch; above, UNITED•STATES•OF•AMERICA; below, TEN•DOLLARS; to left, IN / GOD WE / TRUST, in three lines; to right, E / PLURIBUS / UNUM, in three lines.
Edge: Forty-six stars.
Condition: NGC Proof 67★ (Certificate number: 1963253-011 – Photo Proof 10-07; previous Photo Proof 01-07, without star [number 3025847-010]).
A superb, clear strike with essentially flawless surfaces. An orangey red-gold accentuates this near perfection. The rims perfectly squared without defects. A small shadow before the chin and nose of Liberty, as well as a toning spot between the legs of the R in DOLLARS are identifiers, as is a mint-caused 'smudge' below the last A in AMERICA.
References: Breen (Encyclopedia) 7111; Breen (Proofs) pp. 213; Akers (1980) p.268-269; Garrett and Guth (Encyclopedia) p. 420; United States Mint, Operating Records, "Medal Book," 1906-1916, NARA, Philadelphia. (PCGS 8892).
Condition Census: One of the finest known. Although NGC lists a total of seven pieces at the Proof 67 level, only one (this example) bears the star designation; one other, marginally finer, bears both the plus and star designations; PCGS has graded only a single specimen this fine. (07-13)
Rarity: Extremely rare. Guth and Garrett consider this to be the second rarest of the Saint-Gaudens proof eagle series. Akers didn't hazard an estimate of known survivors, but thought the reported mintage [204] was an error because of the extreme rarity of known pieces. Again references quoted above record the incorrect mintage. The United States Mint's Medal Book records the following: 50 examples struck in January (only 42 accepted); 63 in March (55 accepted); 58 in May (56 made the cut); and 100 in August (97 recorded as 'good'). So, the total struck was 271 pieces but only 250 passed quality control. The number melted or sold is currently unknown, but it should be remembered that the 'satin' finish was to many so similar to a business strike that it is highly possible that numerous proofs found their way into circulation.
Provenance: The Tacasyl Collection; possibly The Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection, Stack's, January 18-21, 1984, lot 813 ($33,000).
Note: Saint-Gaudens's Indian head eagle in many ways is the culmination of his artistic life, and the dying artist thought nothing of borrowing from himself. The profile of Liberty (as an Indian maiden) is for all intents and purposes identical to the face of Victory on his monumental Sherman monument. Reduced bronze figures of Victory were cast for sale, as were heads of Victory, and in 1905 the effigy was again reproduced as a plaquette. The reverse eagle is freely borrowed from the Saint-Gaudens designed, and Adolph Weinman modeled inaugural medal for Theodore Roosevelt (and which is itself a conscious re-creation of the standing eagles found on Ptolemaic coinage of third to first century B.C. Egypt). The elements all blended together well and struck examples of the design, though not yet in its final form, were sent to Saint-Gaudens on July 28, 1907. He sent the Mint a check to cover their cost (Saint-Gaudens never purchased any of his double eagle design) and it was the last of his work he saw prior to his death on August 3, 1907.
Obverse: Head of Liberty left, wearing feathered war bonnet; the band inscribed: LIBERTY. Thirteen stars above; below bust: 1910.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on bundle of arrows entwined with a laurel branch; above, UNITED•STATES•OF•AMERICA; below, TEN•DOLLARS; to left, IN / GOD WE / TRUST, in three lines; to right, E / PLURIBUS / UNUM, in three lines.
Edge: Forty-six stars.
Condition: NGC Proof 67★ (Certificate number: 1963253-011 – Photo Proof 10-07; previous Photo Proof 01-07, without star [number 3025847-010]).
A superb, clear strike with essentially flawless surfaces. An orangey red-gold accentuates this near perfection. The rims perfectly squared without defects. A small shadow before the chin and nose of Liberty, as well as a toning spot between the legs of the R in DOLLARS are identifiers, as is a mint-caused 'smudge' below the last A in AMERICA.
References: Breen (Encyclopedia) 7111; Breen (Proofs) pp. 213; Akers (1980) p.268-269; Garrett and Guth (Encyclopedia) p. 420; United States Mint, Operating Records, "Medal Book," 1906-1916, NARA, Philadelphia. (PCGS 8892).
Condition Census: One of the finest known. Although NGC lists a total of seven pieces at the Proof 67 level, only one (this example) bears the star designation; one other, marginally finer, bears both the plus and star designations; PCGS has graded only a single specimen this fine. (07-13)
Rarity: Extremely rare. Guth and Garrett consider this to be the second rarest of the Saint-Gaudens proof eagle series. Akers didn't hazard an estimate of known survivors, but thought the reported mintage [204] was an error because of the extreme rarity of known pieces. Again references quoted above record the incorrect mintage. The United States Mint's Medal Book records the following: 50 examples struck in January (only 42 accepted); 63 in March (55 accepted); 58 in May (56 made the cut); and 100 in August (97 recorded as 'good'). So, the total struck was 271 pieces but only 250 passed quality control. The number melted or sold is currently unknown, but it should be remembered that the 'satin' finish was to many so similar to a business strike that it is highly possible that numerous proofs found their way into circulation.
Provenance: The Tacasyl Collection; possibly The Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection, Stack's, January 18-21, 1984, lot 813 ($33,000).
Note: Saint-Gaudens's Indian head eagle in many ways is the culmination of his artistic life, and the dying artist thought nothing of borrowing from himself. The profile of Liberty (as an Indian maiden) is for all intents and purposes identical to the face of Victory on his monumental Sherman monument. Reduced bronze figures of Victory were cast for sale, as were heads of Victory, and in 1905 the effigy was again reproduced as a plaquette. The reverse eagle is freely borrowed from the Saint-Gaudens designed, and Adolph Weinman modeled inaugural medal for Theodore Roosevelt (and which is itself a conscious re-creation of the standing eagles found on Ptolemaic coinage of third to first century B.C. Egypt). The elements all blended together well and struck examples of the design, though not yet in its final form, were sent to Saint-Gaudens on July 28, 1907. He sent the Mint a check to cover their cost (Saint-Gaudens never purchased any of his double eagle design) and it was the last of his work he saw prior to his death on August 3, 1907.