20 Dollars, United States, 1933

20 Dollars, United States, 1933

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Description
Production of gold coinage was halted early in 1933. All double eagles struck that years were not to be released to the public, but melted down and conveyed as bullion to Fort Knox. But all of the coins were not melted down: as seems inevitable under these circumstances, a handful was spirited away, kept in hiding for decades. One coin surfaced recently, and a complicated arrangement resulted in its being sold at auction for millions of dollars.
The two coins seen here are the only other 1933 double eagles legally held. They were transferred from the U.S. Mint to the Smithsonian Institution.
Object Name
coin
date made
1933
mint
U.S. Mint. Philadelphia
designer
Saint-Gaudens, Augustus
place made
United States
Physical Description
gold (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 2 mm x 34.2 mm; 3/32 in x 1 11/32 in
ID Number
NU.39166.0002
catalog number
39166.0002
accession number
130752
Credit Line
U. S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Mint
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
United States Double Eagle
Coins, Currency and Medals
Exhibition
The Value of Money
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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