Augustus Saint Gaudens is one of those persons who remain in the history of a country by their talent and loyalty. Although he was Irish by origins, and despite the fact that he studied arts in Europe, he managed to leave his print on American culture by his work. He didn't only bring his contribution to the creation of monuments commemorating the American Civil War, but he extended his art to a higher level.
Appreciating his works President Theodore Roosevelt chose him to be the one to design the new American gold coins. The purpose of this change was to bring more beauty to the older image of Liberty. That is how in 1907 the first double eagles have emerged for the world to look at them with admiration. These coins are made with outstanding artistry and they have a face value of $ 20. The same year he also designed the Indian head gold eagle with a face value of $ 10.
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One of the first things you need to know about buying gold is what do you specifically have in mind. Do you want a 1 Gram Troy Ounce 999.9/1000 24 Karats Pure Gold Bar or The St. Gaudens $20 Double Eagle gold coin? Each of these is different to particular types of investors and collectors. Get familiar with the details and specifications of gold.
Once you have done some research on the different types of gold to buy you will find that the most common form of gold bullion are the one troy ounce gold coins. The most frequently sought after coins are the American Eagle, the American Buffalo, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the South African Kruggerand, the Australian Philharmonic, the Mexican Pesos, and the Chinese Panda.
Gold coins are graded as with any item of value is graded. Whether it is diamonds, real estate, or automobiles. Gold coins have the Very Fine (VF), the Extra Fine (XF), and the Almost Uncirculated (AU). These coins have slight wear, but to the untrained eye they don't appear to have any wear at all. They usually are in beautiful condition. The real rare, high Mint State (MS) are for collectors only, not for people looking for wealth preservation. So be sure to know if you are a gold coin collector or investor. You could pay a hefty premium for these grades of coins.
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