1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle (1907-1933)
Double Eagle
Notable History
Most of the 445,500 struck were melted after the U.S. left the gold standard; the surviving 1933 Double Eagles were never legally released and have been subject to government confiscation and litigation.
Intriguing History
Struck just as Franklin Roosevelt took the nation off the gold standard in 1933, nearly all 445,500 double eagles from that year were ordered melted before ever officially leaving the Mint. A small number vanished anyway, reportedly smuggled out through a cashier's window, and the Secret Service spent decades tracking down and confiscating examples as they resurfaced, including one that had belonged to King Farouk of Egypt. The single specimen the government eventually allowed into private hands later sold at auction for over $18 million, the most ever paid for a coin.