1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 Gold Double Eagle Coin Front (COPY)
I got a couple of these gold coin COPIES from the History Channel Club, and they both came with a little certificate thingy with info about them. This is what it says:
The most valuable coin in the world
Since the moment it was struck, the 1933 Double Eagle has been the stuff of legend. Made quite legally, it was illegal to own as soon as it was made. It is the coin that shouldn't exist: but it does. Nearly half a million $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagles were struck in 1933 despite President Franklin Roosevelt's recall of all gold coins. They never circulated and remained in storage deep within the vaults of the U.S. Mint until they were ordered destroyed in 1937. A few specimens were pocketed by Mint employees, but the theft wasn't noticed until 1944. In the ensuing investigation nine coins were recovered. But one escaped and found itself half a world away in the collection of Egypt's King Farouk. In 1944, Farouk bought the 1933 Double Eagle, and in strict adherence with the law, applied to the Treasury Department for an export license. Mistakenly, just days before the Mint theft was discovered, the license was granted. Efforts to retrieve the coin were fruitless until 1954 when Farouk was deposed in a military coup. The deposed King's collection was offered at auction in Cairo. U.S. officials asked the new Egyptian government to remove the coin from the auction and return it. Its withdrawal was effected, but not its return--it disappeared. Nearly half a century later a leading English coin dealer was arrested while trying to sell the coin to undercover Secret Service agents. In January 2001, after five years of litigation, a settlement was reached that acknowledged the United States right of ownership, but provided taht this single example could be sold, making a unique one-of-a-kind coin. When teh final auction gavel sounded in New York, July 30, 2002, the 1933 Double Eagle sold for a record $7.59 million!
Other happenings of 1933:
--The U.S. officially recognized the Soviet Union and the 21st Amendment was ratified repealing Prohibition.
--The Chicago Bears win the first National Football League Championship 23-32 over the New York Giants.
--King Kong captivated the movie-going public with its story of a giant gorilla running amok in New York.
--Newsweek and Esquire magazines begin publication.
~ harui
The most valuable coin in the world
Since the moment it was struck, the 1933 Double Eagle has been the stuff of legend. Made quite legally, it was illegal to own as soon as it was made. It is the coin that shouldn't exist: but it does. Nearly half a million $20 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagles were struck in 1933 despite President Franklin Roosevelt's recall of all gold coins. They never circulated and remained in storage deep within the vaults of the U.S. Mint until they were ordered destroyed in 1937. A few specimens were pocketed by Mint employees, but the theft wasn't noticed until 1944. In the ensuing investigation nine coins were recovered. But one escaped and found itself half a world away in the collection of Egypt's King Farouk. In 1944, Farouk bought the 1933 Double Eagle, and in strict adherence with the law, applied to the Treasury Department for an export license. Mistakenly, just days before the Mint theft was discovered, the license was granted. Efforts to retrieve the coin were fruitless until 1954 when Farouk was deposed in a military coup. The deposed King's collection was offered at auction in Cairo. U.S. officials asked the new Egyptian government to remove the coin from the auction and return it. Its withdrawal was effected, but not its return--it disappeared. Nearly half a century later a leading English coin dealer was arrested while trying to sell the coin to undercover Secret Service agents. In January 2001, after five years of litigation, a settlement was reached that acknowledged the United States right of ownership, but provided taht this single example could be sold, making a unique one-of-a-kind coin. When teh final auction gavel sounded in New York, July 30, 2002, the 1933 Double Eagle sold for a record $7.59 million!
Other happenings of 1933:
--The U.S. officially recognized the Soviet Union and the 21st Amendment was ratified repealing Prohibition.
--The Chicago Bears win the first National Football League Championship 23-32 over the New York Giants.
--King Kong captivated the movie-going public with its story of a giant gorilla running amok in New York.
--Newsweek and Esquire magazines begin publication.
~ harui
Category Photography / Still Life
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 1024 x 768px
Those old coin designs were amazing. They even had a lot of neat symbols, like slave caps and such.
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