Numismatics, the study and collection of coins, is a market where a coin's value has nothing to do with its face value anymore. Rarity, history, condition, and legal status can propel a simple coin worth a few dollars to the status of an object worth several million. World records are dominated by American numismatics, but France also has exceptional coins.
Top World Records
| Rank | Coin | Price | Auction House | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle | 18 872 250 $ | Sotheby’s, New York | 8 June 2021 |
| 2 | 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar | 10 016 875 $ | Stack’s Bowers | 2013 |
| 3 | 1787 Brasher Doubloon | 9,36 M$ | Heritage Auctions | 2021 |
| 4 | 1822 Half Eagle | 8,4 M$ | Stack’s Bowers | 2021 |
| 5 | 1804 Dollar | 7,68 M$ | Stack’s Bowers | 2021 |
The fascinating case of the 1933 Double Eagle
The record of $18.872 million is all the more spectacular given that the coin has a face value of only 20 $.
- A Coin Never Intended for Circulation: the Double Eagles from 1933 were not normally intended for circulation, and most were melted down after the abandonment of the gold standard.
- A Unique Legal Status: the specimen sold in 2021 is the only 1933 Double Eagle whose private ownership has been officially authorized. It previously belonged to collector Stuart Weitzman.
- A Double Record: the same specimen had already been sold in 2002 for $7,590,020, becoming at the time the most expensive coin ever sold at auction.
And for French numismatics?
French records are much lower than American records. Nevertheless, some coins reach several hundred thousand euros, or even more for extremely rare specimens. French archives allow us to find sales results for royal, revolutionary, Napoleonic, and modern coins.
Two examples from a specialized database:
- a gold proof of 5 Hercule francs 1848, sold for 160 000 €;
- one eight Louis d'or of Louis XIII from 1640, sold for 235 000 €.
The numismatic market rewards rarity and a coin's unique history above all else. The 1933 Double Eagle, a $20 coin that became the most expensive coin in the world, is the perfect illustration. On the French side, the amounts are more modest, but they reflect the same collector interest in major royal and revolutionary mintages.
