Eleven 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coins Together for First Time
In what promises to be one of the most significant exhibition milestones in modern numismatic history, the U.S. Mint and the American Numismatic Association are proud to announce that all 11 government-owned 1933 $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles will be displayed together for the first time at the upcoming World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh. On August 28, convention attendees will have an unprecedented opportunity to view these legendary gold pieces side-by-side in a special feature exhibit hosted by the U.S. Mint on the bourse floor.
“Mint history is American history,” said United States Mint Director Paul Hollis. “As America celebrates its Semiquincentennial, we reflect on our nation’s storied past. These 11 coins were minted during a time of hardship and strife, yet nearly a century later, they endure as treasured emblems of growth, resilience, and opportunity.”
The Mystery, Legend, and Provenance of the 1933 Double Eagle
Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in early 1933, the entire mintage of 445,500 $20 gold pieces was ordered melted following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s executive action suspending the gold standard during the Great Depression. These minted coins were never issued or released to the public as legal tender. Only two specimens were officially retained for the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
Yet the story of the 1933 Double Eagle did not end at the melting pot. A small number of coins slipped into legend, sparking decades of Secret Service investigations, courtroom drama, and numismatic fascination. Over the next 10 years, nine of the stolen specimens were recovered and destroyed. Then, in 1996, a 10th coin resurfaced, leading to an extraordinary settlement that allowed it to be monetized, officially issued by the Mint, and sold at auction in 2002 for millions—after an additional $20 was paid to make the piece legal to own. Nearly two decades later, that same coin returned to the auction block on June 8, 2021, where it set a new world record as the most valuable coin ever sold.
Ten more specimens surfaced in 2004, found in possession of a family of a Philadelphia jeweler who had facilitated the distribution of the stolen Double Eagles in the 1930s. Litigation ensued, and in 2011, after a two-week trial, a jury unanimously found in favor of the government. The judge issued a declaratory judgment that the 1933 Double Eagles were not lawfully removed from the Mint, and as a matter of law, remain the property of the United States.
The latest 11th 1933 Double Eagle was voluntarily and unconditionally surrendered to the government following the 2011 jury trial by a private citizen who acquired the coin on the open market and, to the government’s knowledge, was unaware at the time that private ownership of the piece was unlawful. This piece also traces its provenance to the same Philadelphia jeweler.
This exhibit marks the very first time all 11 of the Mint’s held specimens will be united under one roof.