| The lure of gold has captured the imagination for | | | | another St Gaudens $20 gold piece. This time it |
| centuries and for the coin enthusiast, your stash | | | | was the extremely rare 1933 coin of which there |
| of gold is probably the pinnacle of your coin | | | | are only 11 known in the world and only 1 legally |
| collection. And even beyond that, the most | | | | available for sale. This coin brought an amazing |
| sought after gold coin is the $20 Gold Double | | | | $7.5 million back in July of 2002. |
| Eagle designed by Augustus St Gaudens and | | | | In August of 2005 10 of these coins surfaced |
| minted between 1907 and 1933. | | | | when Joan Langboard found them in her father's |
| Many people consider St Gaudens $20 gold coins | | | | jewelry store safe after he died. Her father, |
| to be the most beautiful coins ever minted in the | | | | Israel Switt, was a suspect in an original theft of |
| United States and some consider them to be the | | | | some of these coins in 1933, but they were |
| most beautiful coin ever minted, period. President | | | | never recovered until Mrs. Langboard turned them |
| Theodore Roosevelt admired ancient Greek | | | | over to the US Mint. A lawsuit is now pending by |
| coinage and wanted to bring the beauty he saw in | | | | Mrs Langboard to recover the coins after money |
| those coins to US coinage. He contacted artist | | | | she was promised never materialized. |
| and sculptor Agustus St Gaudens to redesign the | | | | Any other instance of this coin is deemed illegal to |
| $10 and $20 gold coins and the design St Gaudens | | | | own as President Roosevelt ordered the US mint |
| came up with for the $20 gold piece was that of | | | | to stop making these coins and declared it illegal |
| Lady Liberty on the obverse and a flying bald | | | | to own gold. Any minted 1933 gold double eagles |
| eagle on the reverse. The classic St Gaudens | | | | were to be melted down thus making this the |
| Double Eagle was born. | | | | most valuable coin in existence. Some were stolen |
| The first of these coins had an extremely high | | | | from the mint in 1933 and many were recovered, |
| relief and the Chief Engraver of the US Mint | | | | but any in existence today would be declared |
| detested the coins because the high relief design | | | | illegal to own by an individual or collector. |
| required a long minting process that turned out to | | | | However, if any of these coins were to surface |
| be very expensive. Thus only 11,250 of these | | | | today I'm sure they would not be destroyed due |
| special coins were ever struck making them | | | | to their extreme value. But the collector or |
| extremely valuable. Starting bids for these coins | | | | individual would certainly have a lot of explaining to |
| are in the range of $20,000 to $30,000 on eBay | | | | do as in the case of Mrs Langboard. |
| and go up from there. | | | | Aside from these extremely rare versions of the |
| This past August of 2007 it was reported that an | | | | St Gaudens Double Eagle, anyone who is |
| ultra-high relief lettered edge version of this 1907 | | | | interested in coin collecting can obtain one of |
| coin traded hands above $3 million. This was a | | | | these beauties starting for about $750 on eBay |
| nearly flawless coin graded at Proof 69 by both | | | | or from a private collector. And then you too can |
| NCG and PCGS and is the second highest price | | | | say you own what is considered by some as the |
| ever paid for a coin worldwide. So what was the | | | | most beautiful coin in the world. |
| highest price ever paid for a coin? You guessed it, | | | | |