1933 double eagle

Double eagle ($20.00)
United States
Value$20.00 U.S. dollars
Mass33.431 g
Diameter34.1 mm (1.34252 in)
Thickness2.0 mm (0.07874 in)
EdgeLettered – E Pluribus Unum
Composition90% gold, 10% copper
Years of minting1933
Obverse
DesignLiberty holding a torch and olive branch, backed by the rays of the Sun, the U.S. Capitol visible; 46 stars circle design
DesignerAugustus Saint-Gaudens
Design date1907
Reverse
DesignBald eagle in flight, backed by rays from the Sun, with motto
DesignerAugustus Saint-Gaudens
Design date1907

The 1933 double eagle is a United States 20-dollar gold coin. Although 445,500 specimens of this Saint-Gaudens double eagle were minted in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression,[1] none were ever officially circulated, and all but two were ordered to be melted down. However, 20 more are known to have been rescued from melting by being stolen and found their way into the hands of collectors before later being recovered. Nine of the recovered coins were destroyed, making this one of the world's rarest coins, with only 13 known specimens remaining—only one of which is privately owned, which is known as the Weitzman Specimen. Due to the fact that the coin was never released to the public, it is illegal to privately own any of the 1933 double eagles, with the exception of the Weitzman Specimen.[2] The United States Secret Service is said to investigate reports of the existence of other specimens that come to light.[1]

The two intentionally spared coins are in the U.S. National Numismatic Collection, ten others are held in the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, and the one remaining recovered coin was sold in 2002 to private collector Stuart Weitzman[3] (who remained anonymous at the time) for US$7.59 million (equivalent to $12.2 million as of 2022)[4] —the second-highest price paid at auction for a single U.S. coin.[5][6] The coin sold again to an anonymous buyer at auction in June 2021 for US$18.9 million, making it the most expensive coin ever sold.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b "1933 Double Eagle coin on display at Goldsmiths' Hall". BBC News. 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  2. ^ "The One That Got Away: In June, the Only 1933 Double Eagle That Can Be Owned Will Be Sold | NGC". www.ngccoin.com. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  3. ^ Barron, James (March 10, 2021). "He Owns World Famous Stamps and a Prized Coin. Now He's Selling". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  4. ^ "$7,590,000 in 2002 → 2022 | Inflation Calculator". www.in2013dollars.com.
  5. ^ "$10,016,875 in 2013 → 2022 | Inflation Calculator". www.in2013dollars.com.
  6. ^ "Stack's Bowers Galleries Sets World Record With Sale Of 1794 Silver Dollar For $10,016,875". PR Newswire. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  7. ^ "The 1933 Double Eagle". Sotheby's.
  8. ^ Holland, Oscar (2021-06-09). "Rare 'Double Eagle' gold coin sells for a record $18.9M". CNN. Retrieved 2023-10-10.

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