Before it became the centre of a David Webb necklace, the double eagle answered a very American problem: what to do with an extraordinary abundance of gold. The California Gold Rush had brought vast quantities of newly mined metal into the economy, prompting the creation of a twenty-dollar gold coin. Designed by the United States Mint’s chief engraver, James B. Longacre, the Liberty Head double eagle entered regular production in 1850 and remained in use through 1907.
The example at the heart of this circa-1970s collar bears the date 1904. Liberty faces left, her hair gathered beneath a coronet inscribed with her name, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original states. On the reverse, the design’s heraldic eagle holds an olive branch and arrows, setting the promise of peace beside the means of defending it. The inscriptions “E PLURIBUS UNUM” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” complete this miniature portrait of national identity.
In David Webb’s brilliant hands, Lady Liberty occupies the centerpiece of an exceptional collar whose ambitions have little to do with the practical business of money. Surrounded by thick, twisting gold, the coin becomes a personal emblem: American, bold, commanding.
David Webb understood the attraction of objects that seemed to carry another world within them. Dubbed “America’s Quintessential Jeweler,” he spent the mid-century redefining American luxury by rejecting the delicate, dainty trends of his peers in favor of bold, sculptural armor. His archives preserve a wonderfully provocative observation: “Jewelry and objects of art four thousand years old are newer than anything we have today.” For Webb, looking backward was the ultimate way forward.
This circa-1970s collar brings that radical sensibility to a classic American artifact. The composition reveals Webb’s disciplined mastery: the specific twist of each heavy link is mirrored perfectly in the border of the centerpiece, ensuring the coin feels entirely integral to the architecture rather than simply suspended from it. The negative space between the links breathes, giving the eye somewhere to rest without diminishing the sheer force of the gold. At a magnificent 214.8 grams, this is substantial jewelry by any reasonable definition.
We imagine it nested inside the open collar of an immaculate white shirt, where its formality becomes subversive. Or against bare skin at dinner, with nothing else allowed to compete for the neckline. Either way, it demands a wearer who enjoys the ceremony of putting on a serious piece of jewelry and loves the idea of giving Lady Liberty a night out.
Designer: David Webb
Description: Rare, Signed David Webb 18 Karat Yellow Gold Statement Collar, Liberty Coin is 22 Karat Gold
Period: Vintage
Material: 22k Yellow Gold and 18k Yellow Gold
Circa: 1970s
Weight: 214.8 Grams
Made in USA
Fantastic Statement Collar
