1933 Double Eagle – World’s most expensive gold coin goes on show

The 1933 Double Eagle is a legend in coin collecting circles. It is possibly the most valuable ounce of gold in the world, inspiring the passions of kings, presidents, collectors, and thieves.

In 2002, a 1933 Double Eagle sold for 7.6 million dollars, making it the most expensive gold coin in the world to come to auction up to that time. The actual coin going on display in London has never come to auction and is one of a handful of 1933 Double Eagles known in the world.

This is the first time that a 1933 Double Eagle has been exhibited in Europe. The exhibition is the first leg of a landmark European tour that takes this coin to the United Kingdom and six other European countries. The tour has been arranged by the Samlerhuset Group, parent company of The London Mint Office, in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, based in Washington, D.C. This is the first time that the Smithsonian has sent an object from its numismatic collection on tour in Europe.

Nearly half a million of these twenty-dollar gold coins were originally minted in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression, but only 13 are known today. The rest were melted down before they ever left the United States Mint, sacrificed as part of a strategy to remove the United States from the gold standard and stabilise the American economy.

Only one coin is legally in private hands; all other 1933 Double Eagles remain the property of the U.S. government. The U.S. Secret Service pursues any coins which come to light.
The coin that will be on display in London is one of two 1933 Double Eagles saved by the U.S. Mint and given to the Smithsonian Institution in 1933 as a matter of record.

Peter Swanston, CEO of the London Mint Office, said: ‘This is an incredibly exciting event. As well as being immensely valuable, the 1933 Double Eagle is a truly beautiful coin. We are thrilled to bring it to London and I’m sure many people will want to come and see this icon of American history.’

Marc Pachter, Interim Director of the National Museum of American History said: ‘The 1933 Double Eagle is a symbol of a shared struggle in an interdependent global economy, both in the early 20th Century and today. We are delighted to make one of the greatest treasures of the Smithsonian available to European audiences as part of this unprecedented tour.’

The exhibition will be open to the public at Goldsmiths’ Hall in Foster Lane, London, between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 March. Admission is free.

The Smithsonian and the National Numismatic Collection British scientist James Smithson left his fortune to the United States to found the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu

Samlerhuset was established in Norway in 1994. It quickly emerged as the leading distributor of collector coins in Europe, with a turnover of approximately €160 million.
The Samlerhuset Group, which operates in 15 European countries, was the first privately owned organisation to be allowed ownership of a national mint – owning half of the Mint of Norway – and it enjoys very good relationships with the major mints around the world, as well as a number of international coordinating bodies such as FIFA and the IOC.

ENDS