The U.S. Mint struck nearly half a million 1933 Double Eagles but never officially released any, melting almost the entire run down when the country left the gold standard. A handful escaped anyway — and the government spent decades hunting down and seizing every one it could find.
This is the single exception: the only 1933 Double Eagle the U.S. government has ever legally allowed a private citizen to own, following a settlement with the Secret Service. Shoe designer Stuart Weitzman bought it at Sotheby's in 2021 for $18.9 million — the most ever paid for a coin.
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