1906 Gold Double Eagle Pattern Replica

In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt decided that American coins lacked artistic merit and needed to be redesigned. Roosevelt commissioned Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a master sculptor, to revamp both the $10 Eagle and the $20 Double Eagle, which left the Mint's chief Engraver, Charles E. Barber rather upset. Hoping that Saint-Gaudens' design would fail, Barber created his own version of the Double Eagle, just in case. While the Barber specimen never made it to production, it remains a desirable sample of his stunning work.