MCMVII (1907) Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. High Relief. Flat Rim. MS-64 (PCGS).；Offered is a lovely Choice example of the scarcer of the two variants of the classic High Relief double eagle of 1907. It is fully struck with razor sharp definition to all design elements. Both sides possess full luster in a lively satin texture. Vivid golden yellow patina adds to the appeal; to see this coin is to admire both its technical and aesthetic quality.<p>As is well known, the process of producing these special high relief coins was laborious and time-consuming for Mint personnel. Among other difficulties encountered along the way was the creation of a partial wire rim, or fin, when metal was forced into the small gap between the planchet and retaining collar during striking. The problem of the fin eventually reached the desk of Mint Director Frank A. Leach, who took the matter seriously enough to write on December 6, 1907 (as quoted in <em>Renaissance of American Coinage, 1905-1908</em> by Roger W. Burdette, 2006):<br /><em style="font-size:12px;"></em><p><em style="font-size:12px;">I was exceedingly humiliated today to have the Secretary of the Treasury call attention to the excessive burr, or fin, on one of the new double eagle pieces now being distributed.</em><p><em>I was also surprised to find so many of these defective coins in a bag as I saw in the Treasurers office here.</em><p><em>I gave explicit orders when in Philadelphia that such coins should not be delivered, and directed the man who seemed to have the coins in charge to see that the same should all be gone over and the bad ones laid aside.</em><p><em>I wish you to make [an] investigation and see why my instructions were not carried out, and if there was any negligence or carelessness, who is to blame.</em><p>Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber and assistant coiner Robert Clark took up the challenge and, within a short period of time, were able to produce High Relief double eagles without the fin. The improvement resulted from the introduction of a new milling process and diameter for the planchets. On December 20 Director Leach wrote to Barber to express his satisfaction: "I am more than delighted with the results you have obtained in preventing the fin."<p>Of the 12,367 High Relief double eagle struck, numismatic scholars estimate that only 4,000 or so coins were produced without the fin. These are the Flat Rim coins, which are considerably scarcer than their Wire Rim counterparts. The beauty and popularity of the High Relief Saint-Gaudens double eagle keeps demand for both variants strong, however, especially for carefully preserved and attractive examples such as that offered here.
