The $10 Indian Eagle Gold Coin
Among rare gold coins in the United States, the name of designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens stands out as the premier coin artist in the history of the US Mint. Sealing his place in history with the Double Eagle, Saint-Gaudens created a second masterpiece with the $10 Indian Eagle gold coin. Like the Double Eagle, this was a revolutionary coin and is a valuable rare gold coin today.
This half ounce gold coin features Lady Liberty dressed in a full Indian war bonnet with star-tipped feathers, while a perched eagle dominates the reverse under the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" at the top. The President Theodore Roosevelt originally refused to allow “In God We Trust” to be included on the coins because he believed that they would be used for immoral purposes, but the motto was added in 1908. With the same issue date as the American Eagle, both coins were minted until 1933 when President Franklin Roosevelt stopped the minting of gold coins.
Although the public was not initially enthralled with the new design, it quickly became accepted and is now considered one of the country’s finest coins. Because of the gold confiscation of 1933, there are small quantities of these coins remaining and the prices reflect that fact. Of the 1907 wire-rimmed coins available, the prices have been impressive, with an MS67 being valued at nearly $350,000 by PCGS.
Like the American Eagles, the $10 Indian Eagle gold coin is one of the most desired rare collector’s coins. As investors look for coins that are scare and have an interesting history and high quality, the Indian Eagle is one of the coins they seek.
Stewart Lawson
Senior Staff Writer - Gold-Coin.com
