Sotheby's / Stacks Catalogue for 1933 $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Coin

The Sotheby's / Stacks catalogue is dedicated to the sale of one coin. The 1933 $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle was sold on July 30, 2002. It was sold by Sotheby's / Stacks for over seven million dollars and became the most expensive coin ever sold.The $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coin It was the last gold piece struck by the U.S. government for regular issue, It is regarded as a meaningful symbol of the emerging power of the United States in the 20th century. About the Saint-Gaudens $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Coin:In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt asked his personal friend, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign the country?s coinage to resemble the coins of ancient Greece, the birthplace of democracy. Saint-Gaudens created a breathtaking design that is thought by many to be the most beautiful gold coin ever made.In 1933 the Depression was as its peak. President Franklin Roosevelt had outlawed private ownership of gold by all United States citizens. Gold coins were recalled from circulation, and new production of United States gold coins was halted. Saint-Gaudens dated 1933 were minted, however they were never officially released. It is believed that up to ten of the banned 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle coins were somehow taken from heavily guarded mint bags and replaced by earlier dated coins. The 1933 Saint-Gaudens are now sought after by the world's foremost coin collectors as they are priceless and a true treasure. To this day, it remains against the law to possess a 1933 $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coin.Catalog Dimensions:Height: 1"Length: 11"Width: 8"Weight: 1 lb.