Get the Facts on Double Eagle Coins at Gold-Eagle.org

As America digs itself out from the Wall Street regulatory mess and the real estate slump, investors have shied away from these investments and looked to gold as a remedy for the recurring fall of the dollar. A favored investment in these troubled times is the symbol of American’s strength from better days, the double eagle.

Twenty dollar gold pieces, double eagle coins, came into being at the time of the California gold rush in 1849 with the design of two proof quality coins. These coins were named double eagles since the ten dollar gold piece was an eagle, the five dollar gold piece a half eagle, and the two and a half dollar gold piece a quarter eagle.

The United States mint produced the liberty head double eagle from 1850 to 1907 when American’s most famous sculptor, Augustus Saint Gaudens produced a striking design of a striding lady liberty on the front of the coin and a majestic flying eagle on the back. These double eagles were minted until the gold confiscation of 1933.

Because the United States government confiscated all privately held gold at the start of the Great Depression, double eagles that survived became rare. The only double eagle coins that legally survived the confiscation were in the hands of collectors.

This historical event is a caution to gold bullion investors. There is no precedent for the protection of gold bullion in private hands. Should the government decide to confiscate gold and devalue the currency as it did in 1933, investors could again be exposed to risk.

Investment grade double eagle coins can be worth substantially more than the bullion they contain. Depending upon rarity and state of preservation double eagle coins can substantially out perform bullion as an investment. Only rare gold coins, such as the double eagle, have the precedent of being spared from government confiscation. 

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Joshua Harris

Senior Staff Writer - Gold-Eagle.org