The Story Behind The 1933 Double Eagle

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NNC-US-1933-G$20-Saint_Gaudens.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

The change of design for American Eagle gold coin triggers me to study the history or development of the American gold coins. And there is a fascinated story about the Amercian gold coins development in 1933 – The most famous gold coin – The 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin.

I believe that most people will remember that in 1930s, US was in the bank crisis. In 1933, in order to end the 1930s general bank crisis, US president Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an important executive order – Executive Order 6102.

This Executive order 6102 was about:

• All persons are required to deliver all gold coins and all gold bullion products which owned by them to Federal Reserve Bank.

It made:

The 1933 Double Eagle: America’s last gold coin struck for circulation and the last gold coin that can be legally owned by an individual.

However, a number of 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coins were stolen or rescured before melting and those stolen coins found their way into the hands of collectors before later being recovered. Some of the 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coins were acquired by King Farouk of Egypt who was a professional collector of many things.

In 2002, one of the 1933 Double eagle was sold to an anonymous bidder at a Stacks Bowers action in New York for USD 6.6 million.

In 2021, the coins was sold for more than USD 18 million.

If one day, you discover this 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin, remember its story behind this gold coin.