💰 1933 Saint-Gaudens Gold $20 Double Eagle: The $7.6 Million Coin (2024 Update)

We track the world’s most valuable coins—and this legendary 1933 gold piece holds the record as the most expensive coin ever sold at auction. Here’s everything you need to know about this numismatic unicorn.

📌 1933 Double Eagle Fast Facts

• Mintage: 445,500 (but nearly all melted)
• Survivors: 13 known (10 in gov’t vaults + 1 legal + 2 stolen)
• Record Price: $7,590,020 (2002 auction)
• Gold Content: 0.9675 oz (worth $2,000+ melt value)
• Legal Status: All but one are illegal to own

🔍 Why This Coin Is So Valuable

The Great Depression Meltdown

• FDR’s 1933 Executive Order 6102 recalled all gold coins
• 445,500 were minted but never officially released
• Most were melted into gold bars

The Secret Service Hunt

• 20+ coins stolen by Mint cashier
• 10 recovered and destroyed by 1952
• 1 escaped to Egypt with King Farouk

The Legal Battle

• 2002: Only legalized specimen sold for $7.59M
• 2011: 10 more found but locked in legal limbo

💎 Known Specimens & Where They Are

💰 Current Value Estimates (2024)

• Farouk Coin (Legal): $15M+ (if sold today)
• Hypothetical MS-65: $25M+ (if legalized)
• Gold Melt Value: $2,000 (but completely irrelevant)

💡 Reality Check: Unless you’re holding the Farouk specimen (currently in NYC), any 1933 Double Eagle you find is illegal contraband.

🚨 What To Do If You Find One

• Don’t Touch It (seriously)
• Call a Lawyer (not a coin dealer)
• Contact the Mint (202-354-7227)

PennyVerse Verdict: This is the only coin where finding it could get you in more trouble than it’s worth!

🔗 Learn More at PennyVerse.info
We cover the full history of America’s most controversial coin—including courtroom documents and never-before-seen Mint records.

“The 1933 Double Eagle isn’t just a coin—it’s a piece of American history that the government doesn’t want you to own.”

—The PennyVerse Team