Both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints struck the 1931 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle (Buy on eBay). The original mintage at Philadelphia was an unusually high 2,938,250 pieces, while the Denver Mint struck 106,500 coins. The impact of the mass melting following the recall of United States gold coinage reduced the surviving specimens for each issue to just a few hundred each.
The two major grading services PCGS and NGC show 113 Philadelphia Mint coins and 137 Denver Mint coins graded for this issue. The surviving 1931 Double Eagles from Philadelphia are skewed towards higher grades, with more than ten graded MS66 and a single example graded MS67 by NGC. The 1931-D Double Eagles are encountered more frequently in near gem grades, with the finest examples being four examples graded MS66.
As might be expected, top graded examples for each coin are available infrequently and command high premiums. In separate auctions occurring in 2007, a 1931 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle graded PCGS MS66 realized $126,500, and a 1931-D graded PCGS MS66 realized $230,000.
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection holds three 1931 and one 1931-D Double Eagles.
1931 Double Eagle Specifications
- Designer: Augustus Saint Gaudens
- Composition: 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight: 33.436 grams
- Diameter: 34 mm
- Mints: Philadelphia, Denver
1931 Double Eagle Mintages
- 1931: 2,938,250
- 1931-D: 106,500
Image: Smithsonian Institution
