dittodat

indian head eagle is one of the coolest and most beautiful u.s. coins ever made. here's why:

it's a $10 gold coin officially called the "indian head eagle", minted between 1907 and 1933. the "eagle" part refers to the denomination (back then $10 coins were called eagles).

but here's the kicker: the design is by augustus saint-gaudens, one of the most famous american sculptors. president theodore roosevelt personally asked him to redesign u.s. coinage because he thought american money was boring and ugly at the time. roosevelt wanted coins that looked like ancient greek masterpieces.

now here's the fun part: the coin shows lady liberty wearing a native american headdress — so despite the name, it's not actually a native american on the coin. kind of weird but very roosevelt-era. on the reverse, there's a super bold and powerful eagle standing on a branch, no frills.

even cooler, early versions of the coin had no motto ("in god we trust"). this caused a public outcry, so later versions added it back.

you can also find rare varieties like the "wire rim" or "rounded rim" versions from 1907, which were part of the experimental first batches. those versions are super valuable to collectors.

each coin is made of 90% gold and weighs nearly half an ounce of gold (exactly 16.718 grams, with .48375 oz pure gold).

the indian head eagle was pulled from production after fdr's 1933 gold recall — so 1933 versions are super rare (only about 40 exist).

today, top-condition versions can easily sell for tens of thousands of dollars, and the rarest ones have hit six figures at auction.

in short: bold design, great history, gorgeous coin. if you like old u.s. gold coins, the indian head eagle is a gem. image