Theodore Roosevelt, America’s 26th President, deserves much credit for the realization of the stunning Saint-Gaudens double eagle gold coins. Roosevelt, who was dissatisfied with United States coinage during his time of presidency, actively worked for the improvement of America’s coins. Because of his desire to mint superior coins, he personally asked Augustus Saint-Gaudens to design coins which could be admired and held with great esteem by all. The new pattern minted in 1907 resulted in one of America’s most treasured coins of today and one which received the attention of the mysterious Omega forger.
Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens aspired to mint coins which could be appreciated by their deep detail. In the initial trials, Saint-Gaudens double eagles required six to nine blows each with the press in order to achieve the excellent design. Recognizing immediately the long process was not feasible, the minting was halted. But, not before a few coins were completed. Today it is believed only around twenty of these first coins exist and they are referred to as the ultra high relief double eagles.
High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
Lowering the relief slightly in order to continue, the mint then produced approximately twelve thousand double eagles. These coins are considered 1907 high relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles. Unfortunately, the relief needed to be lowered once more. Although the high reliefs only required three to five blows to produce the design, the process of issuing an abundance of coins demanded a design which could be achieved with just one strike.
Omega Symbol Discovered on Saint-Gaudens Coin
Since the coins first appearance collectors have prized the artistic qualities of the high relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles. They capture and display the treasured values of the country with the image of Lady Liberty stretching forth a torch for all to see and an eagle flying high and free; making the coin a treasure itself. The beauty and rich detail of the gold coin would have a person believe a counterfeit would be too difficult to fashion.
However, in the early 1970’s many 1907 high relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles began to surface. Only after suspicion of the sudden appearance of so many in circulation, close inspection of some of the coins revealed a most mysterious mark. Within the claw of the eagle on the reverse side of a 1907 high relief Saint-Gaudens double eagle, a Greek Omega symbol was noticed. It would seem a counterfeiter had left his mark.
The Omega Man
Commonly referred to as only the Omega man because his identity has never been discovered and known for the symbol he used, the sly counterfeiter of 1907 double eagles inadvertently created another collectible coin. Even though the coins are counterfeit, they too display the beauty of the vision of Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens. The Omega marked 1907 high relief double eagles are so cleverly crafted they pass for authentic coins upon first glance. Collectors seek to purchase the unlawfully, but magnificently made coins.
The Omega man was later realized to have left his mark on other gold coins. Within the R of the word liberty on some 1882 three dollar gold coins is also found the symbol of Omega. Not only did the Omega man leave his mark on his counterfeit coins, he left his mark on the coin collection community. The counterfeit coins were meticulously fashioned and generated a warning for coin collectors. They have been reminded to be aware of extremely talented counterfeiters and to take caution when buying any collectible coin.
More information on counterfeit coins can be found in the article Tips for Detecting Counterfeit Coins
Sources:
Travers, Scott, The Coin Collector’s Survival Manual, reviewed November 7th, 2011
1907 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle, reviewed November 7th, 2011
Yeoman, R.S., The Official Red Book of United States Coins, Whitman Publishing, 2005
Jenny Kile - Jenny Kile enjoys the freedom to explore, question, learn, and the opportunity Suite101 gives in order to then share with her readers.
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