One of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, coin is considered to be the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle. It actually was never officially issued. Still it appeared from 1907 until 1932. Although in 1933 there were 445,500 Double Eagle minted, none were released into circulation because of the changes made in currency laws during the Great Depression.

The result of the Great Depression was that president Franklin Roosevelt took America off the gold standard. The gold coins were drawn out of circulation and afterwards were not issued anymore. Besides, people had to return the ones they had.

Later, in 1933, the Double Eagle coins were declared illegal. It was prohibited to own any of the gold coins, unless they had a collectible value.

The same year Gold Double Eagle coins were ordered to be melted by the U.S. Mint. By 1937 billions of gold bars were made out of these unique coins.

A few coins have escaped from being melted down. In1933 two of them were given by the Mint to the U.S. National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institute. These two Gold Double Eagle coins were known as the only legal specimens to ever become part of a coin collection. Still by 1952, eight additional coins were discovered. These were confiscated by the Secret Service.

Today 19 of the some of most valuable 1933 Gold Double Eagle coins are owned by a Philadelphian jeweler, Israel Switt.