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 Replies: 17 / Views: 6,900 |
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New Member
United States
2 Posts |
Hi all,
I'm a newbie (but a bit of a history buff,) and I seriously don't understand why the St.-Gaudens is generally considered more desirable than the liberty head.
Unless you take Teddy Roosevelt's artistic judgment as gospel, the liberty head is a nice classic looking coin.
Aesthetics aside, we have to remember that, during most of the time the St.-Gaudens was minted (1907 to 1933,) the world had already started to move away from gold as money. After 1914, the dollar began its journey to its dominance of global reserves. The classical version of the gold standard had ended.
Thus, the liberty head (at least post-1873) represents a unique period in history when gold was officially and globally acknowledged as the most liquid of assets, the final settler of debts, and the center of not just the monetary, but the financial, political, and indeed moral system of the world. (UK and US politicians were fond of saying that defending the gold value of dollars and pounds was a moral imperative.)
As if to underscore the point, the coin's weight, composition and face value reflect the gold value of the dollar, at $20.67 per troy ounce. It literally 'embodies' the gold standard. (True, this applies to the St.-Gaudens too, but since the exchange between dollars and gold was severely limited during its mintage, gold had stopped enjoying the same official status as before.)
It just seems to me that the liberty head's sheer historical significance is getting less respect than features like mint marks or special lettering. It's time we recognize this. A century plus is more than enough for Teddy Roosevelt to dominate this topic.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
"Aesthetics" are really the issue here, can't just set them aside. Collectors don't vote their favorites based on the history of the era. But a nice backstory, thanks.
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Moderator
 Australia
16809 Posts |
I have one of each type, and I appreciate both designs. Speaking from an outsider (non-American) perspective, I have to say that I prefer the Saint, aesthetically. The whole quasi-Romanesque-portrait-of-Liberty / Eagle-in-heraldic-pose design theme, while extremely well executed on the $20, is just a bit too same-same as the rest of American 19th century coinage for me to judge it as superior.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
940 Posts |
fredu,  I think the St. Gaudens double eagle is a much more beautiful design than the Liberty Head double eagle, and I agree with Coinfrog that aesthetics is the reason the St. Gaudens is much more popular. The liberty figure on the Liberty Head gold, to me, is an unrealistic depiction of a feminine face. She has fat cheeks, and her profile shows an almost straight line from the top of her forehead to the tip of her nose. The heraldic eagle on the reverse looks like road kill to me, and the wings are too thin. The St. Gaudens reverse shows an artistic liberty figure, and more realistic looking eagle on reverse, although not as realistic as the Walking Liberty half dollar reverse, in my opinion. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
Coincidently, seeing this thread, I am in the process of trading one of my common date duplicate $20 Liberty's (which is probably only AU or MS61/62) for a common MS62 slabbed PCGS St Augustus. I probably have to add a little money, maybe a hundred or two.
I always look for a nice nose on Liberty's face on the St Augustus coin. They are sometimes either weak or flattened from circulation which hurts the beauty of the design.
The one I'm looking at is nice with no real shortcomings.
It will fill a big hole in my type set.
Some say it is the most beautiful US coin. It's up there but maybe not the best.
Maybe a very high grade high relief would be?
Edited by TNG
12/13/2021 9:38 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3848 Posts |
I like the Liberty head better than the St. Gaudens design. Why? I am a classical kind of guy. Plus it is a win-win situation, because they are cheaper.
In the end, it comes down to opinion. Most people like the St. Gaudens design. I can appreciate the design, but it doesn't click with me. I especially like the attractive $20 liberty reverse with the motto.
Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I see both types from the same perspective as Sap does, and for the same reasons.
I sold a collection many decades ago that included Liberty Head type, in about MS-62, as best that I can remember.
When the opportunity came along to acquire another Double Eagle, I opted for the St Gaudens type, for purely aesthetic reasons. In MS-61, I paid the equivalent of U.S.$420 for it in a public auction, in the mid 1980's. I still have it.
My first love is ancient coins, and the design on both sides of the St Gaudens Double Eagle are of the very best neo classic ancient Greek coinage design, very much assisted by modern minting technology.
If I want to show a picture of a coin to someone who knows nothing about numismatics, I go to my phone picture gallery, and present the St Gaudens image. It is easily the most appreciated design by those who have a only a basic knowledge of art, either ancient or modern neo classic.
Like most of American neoclassic coin design, it proudly proclaims that it was produced by the United States of America, even without a legend.
The 2009 one ounce Ultra High Relief Double Eagle had good reason to be produced by the U.S. Mint
Edited by sel_69l
12/13/2021 11:52 pm
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
. I much prefer the St.-Gaudens over the Liberty Head. John1  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
I lean towards the history side. Liberty Head denotes Gold Rush and Civil War. St. Gaudens denotes Belle Epoque, and I have lots of French examples of that. I like the $10 Indian better than the Saint in the same period.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Couldn't agree more. The $10 Indian is my favorite U.S. coin design by far.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5239 Posts |
Being of gold, it is hard not to love them both, but the Saint Gaudens looks better.
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Moderator
United States
187832 Posts |
to the Community! |
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New Member
 United States
2 Posts |
Thanks for the welcomes!
Points well taken.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
The Liberty looks to be more of a coin, a piece of money,
the St Gaudens reminds me more of of a piece of medallic art.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
They're both traditional ancient coin designs sel. The Liberty Head bust is in the tradition of the Athena tetradrachms. The Saint medallion is in the tradition of the Persian archer king on the darics and siglos.
What we have lost is the owl....
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
12/15/2021 10:17 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Makes little difference to me since I can't afford either. |
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Replies: 17 / Views: 6,900 |
Posted 12/13/2021 8:53 pm
