Before we deliver the punchline, allow us a brief exposition: In 1933, the United States government made half a million gold twenty dollar coins known as "Double Eagles". When President Roosevelt made owning gold currency illegal during the Depression, the coins were kept out of circulation and melted into bars, except for two that went to the Smithsonian. Ten years after production, a mystery 1933 Double Eagle appeared in an auction, sparking an investigation by the Secret Service. They concluded that the coin had been stolen by an employee at the Mint along with nine others. Nine were seized, but one was in the possession of King Farouk of Egypt. The coin appeared at auction again in 2002 and sold for close to $8 milion dollars.
Now, that coin will be on display at the New York Historical Society as the world's most valuable coin. However, according to Hyperallergic, ten more Double Eagle coins were seized in 2004. Did the government really think that they could contain a half of a million gold coins? There is no telling how many of them are still out there, so maybe this coin should have an asterisk next to its claim as most valuable.
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[via HyperAllergic]
