2021 American Silver Eagle 3 OZ Private Issue NGC Reverse PF70 FDOI Saint-Gaudens Comm 1933 Double Eagle UHRJohn Mercanti

Saint-Gaudens NFP Commemorative 1933 Double Eagle Ultra High Relief.

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) was the preeminent American sculptor of the Gilded Age. Born in Ireland to French-Irish parents, he was raised in New York City. He pioneered a dynamic, naturalistic style that helped define the American Renaissance, best known for his poignant Civil War monuments and iconic, classically inspired coinage. 

Early Life and European Training

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Saint-Gaudens immigrated to New York City as an infant. At age 13, he began apprenticing as a cameo cutter, mastering intricate detail work while taking evening classes at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design. He later traveled to Europe, studying at Paris's prestigious École des Beaux-Arts and spending several formative years in Rome carving classical antiques to support himself. 

Rise to Prominence

Returning to the United States in 1875, he quickly became a central figure in the American art scene. His breakout success arrived with a commission for a public monument honoring Civil War Admiral David Glasgow Farragut in New York's Madison Square Park. This established a lifelong, fruitful partnership with the rising architect Stanford White, who designed the pedestals for many of his subsequent masterpieces. 

Saint-Gaudens is widely celebrated for the deep emotion, realism, and profound symbolism infused in his public and private memorials.

Coinage and Legacy

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned Saint-Gaudens to redesign American coinage to be on par with the artistry of ancient Greece. His designs for the $10 "Indian Head" gold eagle and the $20 "Double Eagle" gold coin are widely considered to be the most beautiful currency ever produced in the United States.

Later in his life, he helped found the Cornish Art Colony in Cornish, New Hampshire, where he lived and worked year-round until he died in 1907. His former estate and studio are now preserved as the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, managed by the National Park Service.