united-states-1933-item-8
DenominationDouble Eagle ($20 USD)
Country / EmpireUnited States
Obverse DesignLady Liberty striding forward, holding a torch and an olive branch, with the U.S. Capitol building in the background. 'LIBERTY' is above, and the date '1933' is below. Stars encircle the design.
Reverse DesignA majestic eagle flying left, with 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' and 'TWENTY DOLLARS' inscribed above. 'IN GOD WE TRUST' is also present.
Historical Context
The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is one of the most famous and valuable coins in the world due to its extreme rarity and legal history. Following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 6102 in 1933, which recalled most gold coins from circulation, nearly all 1933 Double Eagles were ordered to be melted before they could be officially released. A small number, however, escaped the melting pot, leading to decades of legal battles over their ownership. The most famous example, the 'King Farouk' coin, was eventually legalized and sold for a record-breaking sum.
