United States Coin of the Week: 1907 Wire Rim Eagle MS-66 (NGC).

Article by Greg Cohen, Professional Numismatist and Consignment Director, U.S. and World Coins. Coin description written by James Matthews, Senior Numismatist and Consignment Director, U.S. Coins

Among the most popular gold issues of the 20th century are the beautiful eagles and double eagles designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1907. Well known, and often told, is the story of the evolution of the Saint-Gaudens double eagle, but a similar evolution took place for his Indian Head $10, and like the double eagle, this evolution created a pair of the most beautiful sub-types in the entire US gold series.

Among the highlights of our March Baltimore auction is a lovely superb Gem example of the 1907 Wire Rim $10, graded MS-66 by NGC. For this sub type, the accepted mintage is a mere 500 pieces struck, and this is the closest permutation of Saint-Gaudens’ original, intended design. There are 19 grading events at NGC at the MS-66 grade level, with only nine graded higher, although we suspect that there is some repetition reflected in the numbers. The piece presently offered is very well struck and has beautiful luster and original toning, as noted in our description, and would be the cornerstone to a wonderful collection of $10 Indians.

Be sure to view this coin in person during our lot viewing sessions, whether in Irvine, New York, or Baltimore. Catalogs are currently being produced and will be in the mail shortly, and the listings will likewise be posted to www.stacksbowers.com. To request a copy of the catalog, please contact one of our auction service representatives. If you are looking to consign coins to any of our upcoming auctions, including our May New Orleans, June Baltimore, or August ANA auction sale in Chicago, please contact a consignment director to discuss your collection.