#1 Indian $10 Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History

Made with 90% gold, (the remainder being 10% copper for durability), the Indian Head ten dollar gold coin was minted from 1907 until 1933. This ten dollar gold piece was minted in the Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver mints. Many consider the Indian Head ten dollar design, along with the Saint-Gaudens twenty dollar design, to be the most beautiful of all U.S. coins. Theodore Roosevelt, the President at the time, felt that U.S. coinage had become ugly and wanted our coins to reflect artwork reminiscent of those of Ancient Greece. Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a premier sculptor during this period, was commissioned to design the new coinage. The ten dollar gold piece was also referred to as an “Eagle”. A short hand term used when referring to ten dollar gold coins.

The Indian Head ten dollar gold piece paid homage to the American Indian in that Liberty wears a headdress of eagle feathers in the form of a war bonnet on the obverse or front of the coin. Thirteen stars surround Liberty’s head to represent the original thirteen colonies. A rather majestic eagle adorns the reverse of the coin in a standing pose on a branch with its wings folded. “E Pluribus Unum” is inscribed behind the eagle. In a departure from old standards, 46 raised stars, (later 48 stars from 1912 on), are found on the edge of the coin to signify the states of the union. There were two main varieties in this coin series. Because Theodore Roosevelt objected to the use of the word “God” on coins, the first variety, struck in 1907 and part of 1908 did not have the motto “In God We Trust”, prevalent on most United States coins. Toward the end of 1908, and through the end of the series, the motto was returned to the reverse of the coin.

Value

There are differing factors that determine the value of the Indian Head coins. First, among these is there gold content. The Indian Head gold piece is 27mm in diameter and weighs 16.718 grams. Since they are made with 90% gold, a large aspect of their value is based purely on the gold content. While they have a “ten dollar” face value, their intrinsic value is tied to that gold content, which is 0.48375 of a troy ounce. As a result, and regardless of any other factor, they will always be worth an amount equal to their weight in gold consistent with the current gold spot price or “melt value”. Other determiners of value are scarcity and condition.

Many years of the series are not particularly rare and the common dates, in moderate to almost uncirculated condition, do not carry a premium much above their gold content. In most cases, prices for these coins do not start to exceed their gold content value until you reach mint state condition coins. There are, however, certain rare date coins that can reach into the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands of dollars in higher mint state condition. Finally, there are certain coins that are ultra rarities that can command hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in high states of preservation. The 1933, the last coin minted in the series, has sold for over $700,000 in gem uncirculated condition. The 1920 S, in extremely high mint state, sold for over 1.75 million dollars. Finally, a unique gem quality proof version of the 1907 no motto variety sold for over 2 million dollars.

Because there are so many varied opinions on the condition (or grade) of a coin, the values mentioned reflect the highest retail prices that have been obtained for those coins that have been assessed by a third party grading company. Such coins have been authenticated, graded and encapsulated by expert coin grading companies to minimize any doubt as to their authenticity, quality and value and therefore their potential worth.

We Buy Indian Head Ten Dollar Gold Coins

We want to buy your coins and as a business it is our pledge to offer you the best value for your coins, however, always remember that the prices you may find online or in price guides usually represent the highest retail value for the coin in an already certified condition. As a trusted dealer we will have our coin specialists evaluate your coins at no cost and offer you a price that is both fair for you, but that also allows us to realize a reasonable profit.