1907 Eagle Patterns

About This Coin

Created during the most celebrated year in American coin design history, the 1907 eagle ($10 gold) patterns emerged from President Theodore Roosevelt's campaign to transform American coinage into genuine art. Roosevelt enlisted sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign the gold coinage, and these patterns represent experimental stages of what became the Indian Head eagle. Chief Engraver Charles Barber and George T. Morgan also contributed competing designs, creating productive tension between Saint-Gaudens's artistic vision and the Mint's institutional tradition. A remarkable auction result of $359K in PR62 at Heritage Auctions reflects intense collector demand for pieces connected to this transformative moment. The patterns document technical challenges of translating Saint-Gaudens's sculptural high-relief vision into mass-producible coins, a process requiring significant modifications. The Design Reform Patterns series captures decades of exploration, but 1907 stands as its dramatic climax — the year when presidential intervention elevated American coin design from utilitarian craft to high art.