How to Find a 1907 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle

The 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagle is widely regarded as the most beautiful coin the United States Mint ever produced—and one of its rarest. Fewer than 20 examples are believed to exist. A search returning no results for this coin is the expected outcome.

GetCoinHunt helps you search inventory from multiple coin dealers in one place, and lets you save a wishlist alert for coins that, realistically, may never appear in routine dealer inventory.

What makes the 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagle important to collectors?

President Theodore Roosevelt, dissatisfied with the artistic quality of American coinage, personally recruited sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign the nation’s gold coins. Saint-Gaudens’s original vision for the double eagle called for an extraordinarily deep, sculptural relief—closer to a medal than a coin meant for commerce—that captured far more detail and dimension than ordinary coining presses could strike in a single blow.

Mint technicians struck a small number of pattern coins in this Ultra High Relief format across three batches in 1907: a handful in February, a larger group between March and July, and a final small batch on December 31 of that year. Per PCGS CoinFacts’s and NGC’s published research on the issue, researchers estimate 18 to 20 pieces were struck in total, including roughly 13 to 15 with the standard lettered edge, a smaller group with an inverted edge-lettering die orientation, and a single known example with a plain edge struck from a cracked die.

The design was, ultimately, too impractical for regular production—each coin required multiple strikes from the press to bring up full detail, making it unsuitable for the millions of coins the Mint needed to produce. The design was subsequently simplified into the “High Relief” version struck later in 1907, and then further flattened into the standard relief used for the rest of the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series through 1933. The original Ultra High Relief patterns, however, remain the design in its purest, most ambitious form—and among the most valuable American coins in existence.

Sales have repeatedly reached seven figures. Recorded results include $2,760,000 (PCGS Proof-69, Stack’s Bowers, June 2012), $3.6 million (NGC PF68, a record at the time for any double eagle sold by Heritage Auctions), $4,112,500 (PCGS PR68, private sale), and $4.32 million (Heritage Auctions, Harry W. Bass Jr. Collection).

How to identify a 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagle

With fewer than 20 known examples, all individually documented, identification means confirming a coin against its known history.

Understand it’s distinct from the “High Relief” 1907 double eagle

The Ultra High Relief patterns are separate from—and far rarer and more valuable than—the “High Relief” double eagles struck later in 1907 for wider (though still limited) distribution. The High Relief coins, while themselves scarce and valuable, exist in the low tens of thousands and are a realistic collecting goal; the Ultra High Relief exists in the teens of pieces total.

Examine the edge lettering

Collectors distinguish sub-varieties by edge treatment: standard lettered edge, inverted edge lettering (where the motto reads upside down relative to the obverse), and the unique plain edge example. These distinctions matter to specialists but don’t change the fundamental rarity of the coin as a whole.

Recognize that every genuine example is already accounted for

Given how closely each of the fewer-than-20 known examples has been tracked through major collections and auction sales, a coin presented as an undiscovered example would be extraordinary news in the numismatic world, not a routine find.

Know the physical specifications

Per U.S. Mint records and PCGS CoinFacts, the double eagle denomination weighs 33.44 grams, measures 34mm in diameter, and is struck in 90% gold—specifications shared with the regular-issue Saint-Gaudens double eagle. What sets the Ultra High Relief apart is not weight or composition but strike: its dramatically deeper relief required multiple blows from the press, a physical characteristic that is itself part of authenticating a genuine example against the standard-relief coin.

Buying considerations

This is not a coin found through routine dealer search

With fewer than 20 known examples, nearly all already tracked through major collections, a genuine Ultra High Relief double eagle reaching the market is significant numismatic news, not a routine listing.

Certification and provenance are essential

At this value level, only consider a PCGS- or NGC-certified example, and verify both certification and ownership history directly through the grading service. Given the coin’s fame, confirm carefully that you’re looking at a genuine Ultra High Relief pattern and not the more available (though still valuable) 1907 High Relief regular issue.

If your interest is the Saint-Gaudens design generally

The 1907 High Relief double eagle, and the standard-relief double eagles struck through 1933, offer far more realistic ways to own an example of Saint-Gaudens’s design at price points ranging from a few thousand dollars to the low tens of thousands for most dates.

Suggested search terms and filters

Because a genuine Ultra High Relief example is unlikely to appear in routine inventory, consider:

• “1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle” (to catch any rare genuine listing)
• “1907 High Relief Double Eagle” (for the more available, though still scarce, regular High Relief issue)
• “Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle” (for the broader, common series)

Save “1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle” to your wishlist to be notified on the rare chance a genuine listing appears.

Availability and pricing notes

With fewer than 20 known examples, the Ultra High Relief double eagle essentially never reaches ordinary dealer inventory. Recorded sales have ranged from $2,760,000 to $4.32 million depending on grade, edge variety, and sale venue. The regular 1907 High Relief double eagle, by contrast, is a five- to low-six-figure coin depending on grade, and standard-relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles from later years are considerably more affordable still.

GetCoinHunt does not guarantee that any listing represents a genuine example of a historic rarity. For a coin at this level, independent verification through a major grading service and established auction record is essential before treating any offer as credible.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin. Enter “1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle” to check current dealer inventory.
2. Expect no matches in nearly all cases. With fewer than 20 known examples, this coin does not appear in routine dealer inventory.
3. Add it to your wishlist anyway. You’ll be notified if participating dealer inventory ever includes a matching listing.
4. Consider the High Relief or standard-relief series instead. Searching “Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle” more broadly will connect you with an actual, collectible gold series at far more realistic price points.

Frequently asked questions

How many 1907 Ultra High Relief double eagles exist?

Researchers estimate 18 to 20 pieces were struck in total, and a similar number are believed to survive today, across a few edge-lettering varieties.

Why is it called “Ultra High Relief”?

Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens’s original design for the double eagle called for extremely deep, sculptural relief—more like a medal than a typical coin—that required multiple strikes from the coining press to bring out full detail, making it impractical for regular mass production.

How is it different from the 1907 “High Relief” double eagle?

The High Relief version, struck later in 1907, simplified Saint-Gaudens’s design enough for more practical (though still limited) production, with a mintage in the low tens of thousands. The Ultra High Relief patterns that preceded it exist in the teens of pieces total and are dramatically rarer.

What has an Ultra High Relief double eagle sold for?

Recorded sales include $2,760,000 (2012), $3.6 million, $4,112,500 (private sale), and $4.32 million (Heritage Auctions, Bass Collection).

Can I realistically own a Saint-Gaudens double eagle?

Yes—just not this specific pattern. Standard-relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles struck from 1907 through 1933 are widely collected and available at price points from the low thousands to tens of thousands of dollars depending on date, mint, and grade.

Should I expect to find this coin through a normal coin search?

No. With fewer than 20 known examples, treat any listing claiming to offer this coin with serious skepticism and verify independently through a major grading service before considering it credible.

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