Double Eagle 1933: Discover How to Recognize America’s Most Expensive Gold Coin, Valued at $7.85 Million
The 1933 Double Eagle is a numismatic legend in American history and one of the most sought-after and, no less than, strange pieces of forex within the international. Owing to its remarkable shortage and ancient value, this gold coin may sell for hundreds and thousands of dollars; at a public sale, one is promoting an all-time document for $7.85 million. The 1933 Double Eagle coin can also have a fascinating backstory that consists of authorities bans, criminal disputes, and high-level auctions, regardless of the truth that this form of discernment may be almost incredible.
If you’re an investor or a coin collector, then the 1933 Double Eagle is in all likelihood one that’s on your bucket list as the holy grail of rare U.S. coins. But how do you recognize this precious coin? And why does it command record-breaking prices in today’s market? In this article, we are able to examine the records of the 1933 Double Eagle, why it’s so valuable, and the way to recognize this uncommon coin in case you ever locate your self lucky enough to find one.
What is the 1933 Double Eagle Coin?

Originally minted within the 12 months 1933, the USA produced a $20 gold coin, popularly referred to as the 1933 Double Eagle. It was designed by manner of the renowned artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens, an artist accountable for some of the most recognizable foreign exchange designs in American information. The coin bears, on its obverse, a large photograph of Lady Liberty conserving a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left, at the same time as the opposite aspect bears an eagle in flight accompanied by the words that examine “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “TWENTY DOLLARS.”
The 1933 Double Eagle became a part of a series of gold coins produced by using the U.S. Mint, but the 1933 Double Eagle by no means entered circulation at all. Indeed, the coin is exciting in that it changed into something that was by no means genuinely released into flow, and its release became suspended at the cusp of its release due to a shift in economic policy within the U.S.
Background History of the 1933 Double Eagle

The Double Eagle of 1933 became part of a chain of gold coins that had been produced by the U.S. Mint at the start of the 1930s. Its history, however, is marked by way of a series of occasions that distinguish it and render it extraordinarily rare.
The Great Depression and the Gold Standard
In the early nineteen thirties, the situation under the Great Depression inside the United States triggered President Franklin Roosevelt to seek a monetary remedy for his United States. Chiefly, the suspension of the gold trendy turned into one such critical movement, which changed into to permit the government control currencies and financial policies with impunity. In 1933, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102, requiring all citizens to supply to the U.S. Treasury their gold cash, gold bullion, and gold certificate. This changed into completed with the motive of preventing the hoarding of coins and allowing them to be put back in the stream.
Thus, the 1933 Double Eagle became in no way positioned in the stream, having already been struck. The U.S. Mint ordered all of the 1933 Double Eagle coins to be melted down and destroyed. Nevertheless, some of those coins managed to break out of destruction, both through theft and via bureaucratic forgetfulness.
Why the 1933 Double Eagle Is Worth Millions
The shortage of the 1933 Double Eagle coin and its interesting history have made it one of the world’s most luxurious coins. There are many reasons why its price is out of this world:
1. Rarity
Of the 445,000 1933 Double Eagles first of all minted, most effective 13 stated examples exist today. The coins were either clandestinely saved by way of mint officials, stolen, or illegally held by means of others. The majority of the coins had been melted, so the last examples are extraordinarily rare. When the 1933 Double Eagle coin subsequently emerged in public auctions, its rarity and the criminal warfare over its possession best contributed to its cost.
2. Legal Battles and Authentication
The 1933 Double Eagle has been the concern of disputes for decades. In the early part of the nineties, a coin was found in a personal collection and confiscated by the American government, which claimed such a coin was a result of robbery and violated the terms under which gold was seized in the course of the Great Depression. The coin took domestic a protracted legal war till finally achieving the U.S. Mint another time in 2002. At that point, the coin was auctioned off for the file-breaking value of $7.85 million, making it the very best fee ever paid for an American coin.
3. Cultural and Historical Significance
The 1933 Double Eagle is not valuable because it is uncommon, but additionally due to its historic importance. The coin turned into a strike while the U.S. authorities turned to imposing sweeping financial reforms, so it’s miles an image of a moment of exchange in American history. The coin marks the end of the gold trend, so it’s a collector’s piece. Its association with the Great Depression, the gold confiscation, and the contentious prison battles most effectively add to the intrigue and mystique of the coin.
How to Determine a 1933 Double Eagle Coin
If you observed, you could have located a 1933 Double Eagle coin, or are you just curious about a way to become aware of one? Knowing the traits of this coin’s precious piece of numismatic history is fundamental. Here’s what to do:
1. The Design
- Back (Reverse): The design of Augustus Saint-Gaudens is at the return of the 1933 Double Eagle. While conserving an olive branch in her left hand, Lady Liberty is shown protecting a candle in her right hand. With the 12 months “1933” written in ambitious letters at the bottom, the word “LIBERTY” encircles her head.
- Back (Reverse): An eagle in flight is depicted at the opposite, simply above the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “TWENTY DOLLARS.” With the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” emblazoned at the top, the eagle is flanked by using beams of daylight.
2. Mint Mark
Notice the lack of a mint mark on the 1933 Double Eagle. The coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, and no mint mark was impressed upon the coin.
3. Coin Composition
The 1933 Double Eagle coin includes 90% gold and 10% copper, the standard composition of U.S. gold coins at that point. Its weight is about 33.43 grams, and it’s 34 mm in diameter.
4. Authenticity
Because it’s so treasured, the 1933 Double Eagle coin will in all likelihood be the focus of counterfeits. It is vital that you authenticate a 1933 Double Eagle with a very good grading business enterprise, together with the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), in case you are to, in reality, take delivery of it as authentic. A certificate of authenticity needs to be kept under wraps if the coin was legally obtained.
How Much is the 1933 Double Eagle Worth?
The 1933 Double Eagle coin is well worth tens of millions, but its authentic price may also differ depending upon its scenario and whether or not it was legally sold. For example:
- The $7.85 million price paid at public sale in 2002 for the coin bought at public sale nevertheless stands because it is the highest ever paid for a coin offered at public sale.
- Other instances had been bought for some million bucks, if less than the 2002 report-breaker. The country of the coin additionally plays a determining position.
Coins in mint state or professionally graded coins will fetch better prices.
Conclusion
The 1933 Double Eagle is an image of American numismatic records in addition to the big impact that economic policy changes at some stage in the Great Depression had on society. Its history is replete with intrigue, controversy, and prison complexity. Even though it is dubious that human beings will ever be capable of their very own, information of the coin’s significance and rarity on my own will stir up a collector’s or an investor’s passion.
In case you ever appear to stumble upon a 1933 Double Eagle, make sure that it’s miles authenticated and graded by a professional carrier first before you so much as consider doing whatever with it. At a price well worth a whole lot, like $7.85 million, it’s far and away your key to one of the most rewarding unearths inside the global coin-accumulating world.
FAQs
What is the 1933 Double Eagle coin?
It’s a $20 U.S. gold coin never circulated due to gold recall, making it extremely rare and valuable.
Why is the 1933 Double Eagle so valuable?
Only 13 known examples exist today, making it incredibly rare and highly sought after by collectors and investors worldwide.
Who designed the 1933 Double Eagle coin?
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a prominent American sculptor, designed the coin’s iconic Liberty and flying eagle artwork.