Semi-Numismatic

$10 Indian Gold Eagle (Cleaned)

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The ten dollar gold piece minted between 1907 and 1933 represents a bold departure in American coinage design. Created by the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the coin features a striking depiction of Lady Liberty on the obverse, uniquely adorned in an Native American war bonnet. Thirteen stars arch over her head, representing the original colonies, while the word LIBERTY is clearly inscribed upon her hair band, with the year of minting positioned below her portrait. On the reverse, a proud bald eagle stands amidst the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the face value of TEN DOLLARS. Depending on the specific year of issue, these pieces were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, or San Francisco mints. Each coin contains 0.4838 troy ounces of gold with a purity of 0.900. These surviving gold pieces carry a dramatic history. In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order that banned private citizens from holding monetary gold, which resulted in the vast majority of these coins being returned to the government and melted down. Because of this massive recall, the remaining pre-1933 specimens are incredibly scarce. Some surviving examples, including those certified as genuine, show signs of past cleaning or evidence of once being mounted as jewelry, preserving their unique journey through time.