20 Dollars, United States, 1933

20 Dollars, United States, 1933

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Description
United States Mint, Philadelphia. Production of gold coinage was halted early in 1933 as the United States continued to move away from the gold standard. All double eagles struck in 1933 were not issued or authorized to be released to the public. Instead, they were supposed to be melted down and conveyed as bullion to Fort Knox. But all of the coins were not melted down. A handful were spirited away and kept in hiding for decades. One double eagle dated 1933 surfaced recently, and a complicated arrangement monetized it so that it could be sold at auction for millions of dollars.
This coin and another 1933 double eagle transferred from the U.S. Mint to the Smithsonian were the only legally owned with that date until recently.
The 1933 double eagle marks the end of the era in which the U.S. Congress authorized circulating gold coinage.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
coin
date made
1933
mint
U.S. Mint. Philadelphia
designer
Saint-Gaudens, Augustus
place of issue
United States
Physical Description
gold (overall metal)
0 (overall die axis)
0 (overall die axis measurement)
struck (overall production method)
Measurements
overall: 34.1 mm; 1 11/32 in
ID Number
NU.39166.0001
accession number
130752
catalog number
39166.0001
Credit Line
Transfer from U.S. Mint
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
United States Double Eagle
Coins, Currency and Medals
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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