united-states-1933-item-9
Denomination$20 (Double Eagle)
Country / EmpireUnited States
Obverse DesignFull-length figure of Liberty, facing forward, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The U.S. Capitol building is visible in the lower left background. Rays of sun emanate from behind Liberty. The word 'LIBERTY' is above, and the date '1933' is below.
Reverse DesignA majestic eagle in flight, soaring leftward, with the sun rising behind it. The inscription 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' and 'TWENTY DOLLARS' encircle the eagle. The motto 'IN GOD WE TRUST' was added to the reverse in 1908, but the 1933 issue typically features it.
Historical Context
The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle is one of the most famous and valuable coins in the world. Minted during the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 6102 (April 5, 1933) recalled gold coins from circulation, making it illegal to own gold bullion. Consequently, the entire mintage of 1933 Double Eagles was ordered to be melted. A small number of these coins, however, illicitly escaped the mint. Their extreme rarity and the legal battles surrounding their ownership have made them legendary in numismatic history. The 'Farouk' specimen sold for a record-breaking $7.59 million in 2002 and later for $18.9 million in 2021.
