1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
The World's Most Valuable Coin
$18.9 Million Auction Record • Never Legally Issued • Only One Privately Owned
Why the 1933 Double Eagle Was Never Released
The Saint-Gaudens double eagle — widely considered the most beautiful coin the United States ever struck — was minted continuously from 1907 to 1933. The 1933 issue, however, never entered circulation. On April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102, ordering Americans to surrender most gold coin and bullion to the Federal Reserve as the nation abandoned the gold standard during the Great Depression. The Philadelphia Mint had already struck 445,500 double eagles dated 1933, but the order arrived before any were officially released for circulation.
Mint officials were instructed to melt the entire 1933 mintage down into gold bars. Two coins were set aside and legally transferred to the Smithsonian's National Numismatic Collection for historical preservation — one remains on public display at the National Museum of American History. Every other 1933 double eagle was supposed to be destroyed. Instead, a small number were illegally removed from the Mint before melting, reportedly with the help of a Mint cashier, and passed into the hands of a Philadelphia jeweler named Israel Switt.
Because none were ever officially issued, the U.S. government has treated every surviving 1933 double eagle outside the Smithsonian as stolen federal property — with one carefully negotiated exception, discussed below. For general Saint-Gaudens double eagle values across other, legally collectible years, see our full U.S. gold coin price guide or the dedicated Gold Double Eagle guide.
Key Facts
- Mintage: 445,500 struck — officially, zero were ever released for circulation
- Known survivors: Roughly 13–14 specimens are documented to still exist
- Legal to own: Exactly one specimen, following a 2001 settlement with the U.S. government
- Auction record: $18.9 million (Sotheby's, June 2021) — the highest price ever paid for a coin at the time of sale
- Composition: 90% gold, 10% copper — 0.9675 troy oz of pure gold, identical to every other Saint-Gaudens double eagle
Known 1933 Double Eagle Specimens
Unlike an ordinary key date, the 1933 double eagle isn't scarce because few were minted — 445,500 were struck, a perfectly ordinary mintage for the series. It's scarce because almost none were allowed to survive. Tracking the known specimens tells the story better than any single "value" figure could.
| Specimen / Location | Legal Status | Notes | Sale / Value | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Weitzman / Farouk specimen | Legal to own — only known exception | Exported to Egypt in 1944 with a since-revoked license; owned by King Farouk, later recovered and sold at Sotheby's | $18,900,000 (2021) | eBay → |
| Smithsonian specimen (on display) | Museum property | One of two coins legally transferred by the Mint before the 1933 melt order | Not for sale — museum collection | eBay → |
| Smithsonian specimen (reserve) | Museum property | The second legally transferred coin, held in reserve | Not for sale — museum collection | eBay → |
| The ten Langbord specimens | Ruled U.S. government property (2016–2017 court decision) | Discovered in a family safe deposit box in 2003; a decade-long legal fight ended in forfeiture to the government | Held by the U.S. Mint — not legally transferable | eBay → |
No genuine 1933 double eagle is legally available for purchase outside the single exception above. Any "1933 double eagle" listed for sale on eBay or elsewhere is a replica, reproduction, or fantasy piece — never a genuine specimen.
Legal Status & the Farouk Specimen's Path to Auction
The U.S. Secret Service spent decades tracking down and confiscating 1933 double eagles as they surfaced, treating each one as stolen government property that had never been legally released. One coin escaped this fate through an unusual accident of paperwork: in 1944, a State Department export license — issued in error, before anyone realized the coins were stolen — allowed a specimen to leave the country legally. It ended up in the collection of King Farouk of Egypt.
After Farouk's 1952 overthrow, the coin resurfaced decades later in the hands of a British coin dealer, who was arrested attempting to sell it to undercover Secret Service agents in a 1996 sting. A prolonged legal battle followed, ultimately resolved by a 2001 settlement: the U.S. government agreed to formally "monetize" this single specimen — officially recognizing it as legal tender that had been properly issued — making it the only 1933 double eagle any private collector can lawfully own. It sold at Sotheby's in 2002 for $7.59 million, then again in June 2021 for $18.9 million to shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, setting the record for the most expensive coin ever sold at the time.
Counterfeit & Replica Warning
Because the genuine coin is essentially unobtainable, the market for fake "1933 double eagles" is significant. Reproductions, fantasy pieces, and altered-date coins circulate widely online. Any listing claiming to be a genuine 1933 double eagle outside the single monetized specimen should be treated as fraudulent.
The 1927-D Comparison
Collectors sometimes confuse the 1933 double eagle's rarity with the 1927-D — a genuinely rare, legally collectible key date with fewer than 15 known examples and values commonly reaching $500,000 to $2,000,000+. The 1927-D is real, tradeable, and covered in our gold coin price guide.
Collecting the Series Instead
Common-date Saint-Gaudens double eagles from 1907–1932 are legal, widely available, and trade close to gold melt value plus a modest numismatic premium — a far more practical entry point into this design's history.
Shop Common-Date Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles
While the 1933 issue itself can't be legally purchased, common-date Saint-Gaudens double eagles from 1907–1932 carry the same iconic design and are readily available from certified dealers.
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Where to Research This Coin
Because no dealer sells genuine 1933 double eagles, a standard bullion dealer comparison doesn't apply here the way it would on a common value-chart page. These resources are the most useful starting points instead:
PCGS CoinFacts
Detailed auction history, population data, and pedigree research for the Farouk/Weitzman specimen and the broader Saint-Gaudens series.
View PCGS CoinFacts →National Numismatic Collection
The Smithsonian's own record of its two legally held specimens, including current exhibit information.
View Smithsonian Record →FRC Gold Coin Price Guide
Values for every legally collectible pre-1933 U.S. gold coin, including common-date Saint-Gaudens double eagles.
View Gold Coin Prices →Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally own a 1933 double eagle?
No, with a single exception. Only one specimen — the Farouk/Weitzman coin — was formally monetized by the U.S. government under a 2001 legal settlement, making it the sole 1933 double eagle any private citizen can legally own. Every other known example, including the ten Langbord family coins, has been ruled U.S. government property.
How many 1933 double eagles still exist?
Roughly 13 to 14 are documented: the single legal specimen, two held by the Smithsonian's National Numismatic Collection, and ten more recovered from the Langbord family that were ultimately forfeited to the government after years of litigation. A small number of others were melted or destroyed by the Secret Service after being confiscated over the decades.
Why is the 1933 double eagle worth so much more than other double eagles?
Ordinary Saint-Gaudens double eagles, even rare dates, are legal to buy and sell freely — their value reflects gold content plus a collector premium. The 1933 issue is different: its value comes almost entirely from extreme scarcity combined with a unique legal status. Owning the one legal specimen means owning something no one else can legally acquire, which is why it commands a price far beyond what gold content or mintage alone would suggest.
What happened to the Langbord family's ten coins?
Israel Switt's daughter, Joan Langbord, discovered ten 1933 double eagles in a family safe deposit box in 2003 and submitted them to the U.S. Mint for authentication. Rather than returning them, the government seized the coins, arguing they had never been legally issued and remained federal property. After more than a decade of litigation, a federal appeals court ruled in the government's favor in 2016, and the Supreme Court declined to hear a further appeal in 2017.
How can I tell if a "1933 double eagle" for sale is real?
Treat any such listing as fraudulent by default. Genuine specimens are documented, individually tracked by the Secret Service and major auction houses, and essentially never appear on general marketplaces. What you'll find on eBay or similar sites under this search term are replicas, gold-plated reproductions, or fantasy pieces — none have genuine numismatic value as a 1933 double eagle.
What's a more realistic way to collect Saint-Gaudens double eagles?
Common-date Saint-Gaudens double eagles from 1907 to 1932 are legal, widely available, and trade close to gold melt value with a modest numismatic premium — typically $1,950 to $2,500 in circulated grades. Key dates like the 1927-D or 1920-S carry substantial premiums but remain legally collectible, unlike the 1933 issue. See our full gold coin price guide for current values across the series.
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