Augustus Saint-Gaudens Signed Collector Card

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A Revolutionary Numismatic Auction

By Early American History Auctions

Jul 24, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-07-24 12:00:00 2021-07-24 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : A Revolutionary Numismatic Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/early-american-history-auctions/a-revolutionary-numismatic-auction-7186
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  Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens Signed Collector Card
  AUGUSTUS SAINT-GAUDENS (March 1, 1848 - August 3, 1907). Historic and Famous "American Renaissance" Sculptor of major critical success in the design of monuments commemorating heroes of the American Civil War, many of which still stand, including his most famous works such as the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common, located directly across from the steps of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill.
  Saint-Gaudens beautifully and artistically Signs in full, "Augustus Saint-Gaudens", boldly in black ink on a clean Autograph Collector's Card measuring 3-5/8" x 2", no place or date, Choice Crisp Extremely Fine. Remnants of a former mounting are present on the blank back, not effecting the front. Saint-Gaudens' signature measures a full 3.25" across. Among numismatists, Saint-Gaudens is well known for his eponymous "$20 Saints" issued by the United States government from 1907 to 1933. This popular collectible coin was created in s collaboration between Saint-Gaudens and then-President Teddy Roosevelt, whose pet project was to instill fresh artistic life into American coins. Succeed, they did.
  Augustus Saint-Gaudens (March 1, 1848 - August 3, 1907) was the Irish-born American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who most embodied the ideals of the "American Renaissance". Raised in New York City, he traveled to Europe for further training and artistic study, and then returned to major critical success in the design of monuments commemorating heroes of the American Civil War, many of which still stand.
  In addition to his famous works such as the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common and the outstanding grand equestrian monuments to Civil War generals John A. Logan, atop a tumulus in Chicago, 1894-97, and William Tecumseh Sherman, at the corner of New York's Central Park, 1892-1903, Saint-Gaudens also maintained an interest in numismatics and designed the twenty-dollar "double eagle" gold piece, for the US Mint in 1905-1907, still considered the most beautiful American coin ever issued as well as the $10 "Indian Head" gold eagle, both of which were minted from 1907 until 1933.
  In his later years he founded the "Cornish Colony", an artistic colony that included notable painters, sculptors, writers, and architects. His brother, Louis St. Gaudens was also a well known sculptor with whom he occasionally collaborated.
  In 1876 Saint-Gaudens received his first major commission; a monument to Civil War Admiral David Farragut, in New York's Madison Square; his friend Stanford White designed an architectural setting for it, and when it was unveiled in 1881, its naturalism, its lack of bombast and its siting combined to make it a tremendous success, and Saint-Gaudens' reputation was established.
  The commissions followed fast: the colossal Standing Lincoln in Lincoln Park, Chicago in a setting by architect White, 1884-1887, considered the finest portrait statue in the United States (A copy was placed at Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Illinois, another copy stands in London in front of Westminster Abbey facing Parliament Square); a long series of funerary monuments and busts: the Adams Memorial, the Peter Cooper Monument, and the John A. Logan Monument, the greatest of which is the bronze bas-relief that forms the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common, 1884-1897, Saint-Gaudens labored on it for fourteen years, and even after the public version had been unveiled, he continued with further versions.
  Two grand equestrian monuments to Civil War generals are outstanding: to General John A. Logan, atop a tumulus in Chicago, 1894-1897, and to General William Tecumseh Sherman at the corner of Central Park in New York, 1892-1903, the first use of Robert Treat Paine's pointing device for the accurate mechanical enlargement of sculpture models.
  For the Lincoln Centennial in 1909 Saint-Gaudens produce another statue of the president. A seated figure, it is in Chicago's Grant Park. The head was used for the commemorative postage stamp issued on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth
  Saint-Gaudens referred to his early relief portraits as "medallions" and took a great interest in the art of the coin: his twenty-dollar gold piece, the double eagle coin he designed for the US Mint, 1905-1907, though it was adapted for minting, is still considered the most beautiful American coin ever issued.
  Chosen by Theodore Roosevelt to redesign the coinage of the nation at the beginning of the 20th century, Saint-Gaudens produced a beautiful high-relief $20 gold piece that was adapted into a flattened-down version by the United States Mint. The high-relief coin took up to eleven strikes to bring up the details, and only 12,367 of these coins were minted in 1907.
  Two major versions of his coins are known as the "Saint Gaudens High Relief Roman Numerals 1907" and the "Saint Gaudens Arabic Numerals 1907-1933". Other extremely rare types of Saint-Gaudens double eagles, minted in 1907, are prized by collectors and valued from $10,000 to millions of dollars.
  The Saint-Gaudens obverse design was reused in the American Eagle gold bullion coins that were instituted in 1986. An "ultra-high relief" $20 (24 karat) gold coin was issued by the U.S. Mint in 2009.
  Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907, and the center of the Cornish Art Colony. There are two hiking trails that explore the park's natural areas. Original sculptures are on exhibit.
  The National Historic Site was authorized by Congress on August 31, 1964, and established on May 30, 1977. Besides the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, this is the only National Park Service site in New Hampshire. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
  
  
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