1933 Double Eagle Finds a Home with the ANS Exhibit

On November 20, 2003, at 11:00 am, the 1933 Double Eagle, “The World’s Most Valuable Coin”, went on long term loan to the American Numismatic Society’s exhibit, Drachmas, Doubloons and Dollars: The History of Money. The official transfer of the coin was conducted by David Redden, Chairman, Sotheby’s International, acting as agent for the owner, with Ute Wartenberg Kagan, Executive Director, ANS and also present, Tom Baxter, Chief Legal Council Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The coin was sold by the U.S. Government in an auction at Sotheby’s in New York on July 30, 2002 for $7,590,020. In spite of much speculation, the owner of the coin remains unknown.

For our readers who might have missed the feature article on the 1933 Double Eagle in our Summer 2002 issue, the coin has an extraordinary story. The 1933 Double Eagle was minted but never issued because President Franklin D. Roosevelt took the country off the gold standard in early 1933. This single example escaped destruction when it was stolen by a Mint employee, made its way into the collection of King Farouk of Egypt, was withdrawn from an auction of his possessions in 1954, and went underground for forty years until it was seized from an English coin dealer in 1996. It may be seen Monday through Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 33 Liberty Street. Please note that due to hightened security, the exhibit is temporarily by appointment only, to make an appointment to see the exhibit, please call the Federal Reserve Bank at (212) 720-6130