LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 (ANA) Signature Coin Auction #444  / 

2009

1914 $10 PR65 NGC

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:37,500.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1914 $10 PR65 NGC
<B>1914 $10 PR65 NGC.</B></I> Proof gold mintages dwindled to small numbers as World War I approached. Contemporary collectors never warmed up to these distinctive French-style proofs, and orders declined at the Mint. All of the gold denominations represented considerable buying power at the time. Typical factory workers, for example, earned between eight and 13 dollars per week. A private in the U.S. Army earned 15 dollars per week. Any thoughts of acquiring a complete four-piece gold proof set, requiring wages for a full month, were out of the question for these workers. Even higher level wage earners, those most likely to entertain numismatic ambitions, were more concerned about world political situations at the time, placing their collecting pursuits on hold.<BR> Sharp details, khaki color, and minutely grained surfaces characterize the matte proof 1914 gold coins. The matte finish was altered in 1914 with larger facets than in previous years, yet these facets are seemingly endless. Official Mint records show that just 50 of these proofs were coined, and most remain today.<BR> A thin wire edge, or fin as it was called by mint personnel, is visible around portions of the border on each side. Every individual element is bold and represents the exact appearance that Charles Barber intended when he modified the Saint-Gaudens design. The surfaces are remarkable, marred only by microscopic hairlines and other trivial imperfections.<BR><BR><B>Coin Engraver:</B> Augustus Saint-Gaudens<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>\)
Sign In to Bookmark Lot