One of the most well-known coins in all of U.S. history is the 1933 Saint Gaudens double eagle $20 gold coin — a coin that, by several accounts, shouldn’t even be in existence!
Designed by famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, this coin tops two important lists: It is among the very rarest coins in the world AND the most valuable coin in the world.
See a list of THE most valuable coin in each U.S. denomination.
In the 1930s, during the Depression, a law was passed that made it illegal to own gold coins — due to so many people hoarding valuable gold pieces.
However, when the law was passed, the U.S. Mint had already minted over 400,000 1933 double eagles.
So, with the new law in place, the coins never left the Mint and were later ordered to be melted down.
Here is where the story gets juicy!…
Stolen Gold Double Eagles
Some years later, it was discovered that when the 1933 double eagles were to be melted down, the Mint’s chief cashier stole around 20 of those coins.
It’s believed that he got away with it by snatching the coins from a U.S. Mint bag and replacing them with earlier-dated double eagles, so that the weight and currency count would check out.
Approximately 10 of those coins ended up in the hands of a jeweler named Israel Switt, who then sold them to individuals.
One of the more famed of these double eagle gold coins is the one that was eventually sold to the King of Egypt. He was a rare coin collector, among other things.
Once the discovery was made of the stolen coins, they were tracked down and confiscated by the U.S. government. Two of them were given as legal specimens to the Smithsonian Museum.
However, the one that ended up in Egypt couldn’t be recovered so easily!
The One That Got Away
The king had used every legal means to purchase the coin, and he even secured an export license for it.
Despite the fact that the coin was stolen property from the U.S. Mint, the government hadn’t discovered the theft yet and, in fact, approved the export and legal ownership of the coin to the King of Egypt!
Some time later when the king was overthrown in Egypt, his belongings were to be auctioned off and the U.S. tried to seize the opportunity to regain possession of that elusive double eagle gold coin. The U.S. had discussions with Egypt explaining the mishap regarding the stolen coin — and asked for the coin to be returned to the U.S.
Before any decision could be made, the coin vanished once again. It was not to be seen for more than 40 years… until 1996.
The coin had found its way to the U.S once again.
It was now in the hands of a British dealer, Steven Fenton, who intended to sell the double eagle to an American collector.
The government was tipped off about the deal and raided the hotel room where the deal was being made. The coin was confiscated, and the British dealer was taken to jail. He ended up suing the federal government in a long, drawn-out legal battle for ownership of the coin.
In the meantime, that double eagle gold coin had yet another close call.
Another Narrow Escape
While its ownership was being debated, the coin was stored in a vault located in the World Trade Center where it was thought to be safe.
It was there for many years during the legal battles, and the coin was moved to Fort Knox only a few short weeks before September 11, 2001.
It was ordered that the coin be auctioned off and the money to be split between Fenton and the U.S. Mint.
The coin sold at action for a total cost of over $7.5 million in 2002 to become the most valuable coin in the world at that time. After being eclipsed in price by the sale of a $10 million 1794 silver dollar, the 1933 Saint-Gaudens double eagle reclaimed the title of world’s most valuable coin when it garnered $18,872,250 in a 2021 auction.
10 More 1933 Double Eagles Found
This would be an end to the story, but in 2005 another big discovery was made!
A woman named Joan Langbord had recently come into an inheritance which contained a coin collection — some of which was sent off to the U.S. Mint for authentication.
The Mint was shocked to discover another 10 legit 1933 double eagles!
Langbord was the daughter of the late Israel Switt — the jeweler who initially had the first 10 coins.
The U.S. government ordered these 10 coins to also be confiscated. Langbord filed a lawsuit but ultimately lost. In 2011, a jury sided with the U.S. government and following a litany of appeals and reversals the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled in favor of the U.S. government on the grounds that the coins were stolen property that belonged to the U.S.
The coins are now in the custody of the federal government. However, they have been placed on public display for certain events, like the 2026 American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money.
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