Merit Financial - Indian Collection

During his term in office, Teddy Roosevelt was extremely active in the issuance and production of American coinage. Just after the dawn of the 20th century, Roosevelt commissioned a new line of American gold coins which would become known as the "Indian Collection". It included the famed Twenty Dollar Saint Gaudens, along with three fractional gold pieces designed by Bela Lyon Pratt.

The Two and a half dollar and Five dollar gold Indians depict an unknown Native American chieftain on the obverse, while the standing profile of the American Eagle graces the reverse of the coin. These two smaller versions were the first and only American gold coins struck with an incuse or recessed design. Shortly after their release, the Two and a half dollar and Five dollar Indians sparked a good deal of controversy when concerns about disease arose as the coins were difficult to keep clean. As such, production of these coins was suspended in 1916, only to resume nine years later in 1925. Since their flat edges made them more fragile to preserve, very few examples of these coins exist in high grades, making them some of the most sought after American coins.

The Ten Dollar variety depicts the classic portrait of Lady Liberty adorned with a full native headdress on the obverse. Like the Liberty collection, each Gold Indian is comprised of Ninety percent gold, with slight amounts of hardening alloys used to make them durable enough for circulation. They are available in a wide array of grades and types, with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars up to nearly one million dollars.

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