09/19/2026
In 1933, Roosevelt signed an executive order recalling almost all gold in the country. Every 20 dollar Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle struck that year was ordered melted down.
Except one.
A single 1933 Double Eagle survived. It ended up owned by King Farouk of Egypt, then eventually by shoe designer Stuart Weitzman. In June 2021, it went across the auction block at Sothebys and sold for 18,872,250 dollars. That made it the most expensive coin ever sold at auction, a record it still holds.
PCGS graded it Mint State 65. And it is currently the only 1933 Double Eagle in the world that is legal to own privately. Every other known example belongs to the Smithsonian or the U.S. government.
That is why grade, condition, and legal status matter more in rare coins than the metal itself. One coin, one grade, 18.8 million dollars.
Whats the most youve ever paid for a single coin?