Beautiful St. Gaudens Gold Coin Sculptures
Mention the name Augustus Saint-Gaudens to any coin collector in any part of world and you may spend quite some time discussing who this man is. You will hear nothing but praises and imagine a great artisan.
Walking with Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 1st of March 1848. When he was only six months, his family migrated to New York City where he was raised.
He worked as assistant to a cameo-cutter but he concurrently studied art at the Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design. He also traveled to Paris working under the guidance of Fracois Jouffroy at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
The young Saint Gaudens also went to Rome to deepen his knowledge about arts and architecture. Rome proved to be really Romantic for Gaudens since he met an art student named Augusta Home whom he married in 1877.
Saint-Gaudens is known as the genius sculptor who was among the brightest of the Beaux-Arts generation. The man embodied the ideals of what historians call the “American Renaissance.”
He grew up in New York but he spent some time in Europe to enhance his skills and broaden his perspectives about the arts. When he returned to the United States he was commissioned to design monuments to honor the heroes of the American Civil War.
Some of his notable works are the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial in Boston, a sculpture in Chicago to honor General John Logan, and a work in tribute to William Tecumseh Sherman located in NY Central Park.
Aside from the prowess in sculpting, Saint-Gaudens was also a prominent figure in numismatics. He used his genius to design the Double Eagle Gold Coin for the US Mint in 1905-1907. He was also commissioned to design the $10 Indian Head which were produced in 1907 to 1933.
Etching His Name in History
Saint-Gaudens established his name in the world of arts when he completed the monument of Admiral David Farragut, a Civil War hero, which is displayed in Madison Square Garden. The work was unveiled in 1881 and was welcomed by critics for its naturalism and lack of pretensions.
The renowned sculptor is also responsible for the Standing Lincoln in Chicago which is considered to be the best of all portrait statues in the United States
These works were followed by other commissions to do monuments in tribute of other heroes of the American Civil War. Naturally, a lot of art students wanted their skills to be chiseled by the virtuosity of Saint-Gaudens. He was a remarkable and very sensitive mentor to young artists who have made names for themselves.
His art also made sure that we have the nicest coins that we can flip in history. Saint Gaudens was chosen by then President Teddy Roosevelt to create a stunning $20 gold coin. These highly valued coins were minted in 1907 with only 12367 pieces released to the market.
Other rare coins under his belt were the Double Eagle Gold Coin which was minted in 1907. Between 1907 and 1933 the Saint Gaudens High Relief Roman Numerals and the High Relief Arabic Numerals were minted.
The great artist was diagnosed with cancer in 1900 but he continued to make great contributions for the advancement of the arts. He succumbed to the pains of cancer in 1907.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens home has been preserved and declared as a national historic site.
