American 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin

American 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin is known as the most valuable coin in the world. Double eagles were so named because the largest US coin until the time of the California gold rush was a $10 face value gold Eagle. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Gold coins were considered as the building blocks of the growing US economy and financial markets.

1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin was designed by, Augustus St. Gaudens, one of the premier sculptors in American history, at the behest of the President Theodore Roosevelt. This coin was auctioned for US$ 7.59 million in 2002, the highest price paid for any coin.

The financial instability following World War I encouraged many US citizens to hoard gold, resulting in affecting the US gold reserves. The problem was compounded in the 1930 by a general bank crisis that led to the closing of all Banks. To overcome the general bank crisis, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 in 1933 and the Gold Reserve Act in 1934, which outlawed the circulation and private possession of United States gold coins for general circulation, with an exemption for collector coins. As a result of this legislation, all of the 1933 Double Eagles were ordered to be destroyed, but unfortunately ten specimens escaped into private hands. However, because they were never been officially issued as United States coinage, they cannot be legally owned. In 1940s and 1950s, nine of the ten coins were seized by the United States Secret Service and subsequently destroyed.

The obverse of American 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin represents a halo background with a Lady Liberty holding a torch symbolizing wisdom and olive branch representing peace and the reverse of this coin has a Bald Eagle in flight position, backed by a halo with motto “In God We Trust”. The dimension of the 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin comprises:

• Total weight (in ounce; OZ) = 1.0750
• Total weight (in gram) = 33.431
• Coin diameter (in mm) = 34.1
• Coin thickness (in mm) = 2.41

The edges of the coin are milled and the coin is composed of 90% Gold and 10% Copper with a face value of $20.