1933
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Jewels II Jadeite Qianlong Cartier Miro Lempicka Early Magritte Sanyu < 1950 Mexico Coin Cars 1930s Cars 1930-33 Alfa Romeo US gold coins 20th century coins Time pieces Patek Philippe Patek Philippe < 1950
See also : Jewels II Jadeite Qianlong Cartier Miro Lempicka Early Magritte Sanyu < 1950 Mexico Coin Cars 1930s Cars 1930-33 Alfa Romeo US gold coins 20th century coins Time pieces Patek Philippe Patek Philippe < 1950
Qing and 1933 Jadeite Necklace
2014 SOLD for HK$ 214M by Sotheby's
Jadeite exists in various colors. Green is a common color of jadeite when it contains chromium. The finest hues are Imperial green, intense green and vivid green. They come almost exclusively from Burma, currently Myanmar.
These green variants were the most precious jewels at the Qing imperial court, in the form of beads, cabochons and bangles, without superfluous embellishment. The history of the extraction of the stone is lost.
This mineral rock can be carved, which is not the case of the diamond which is cut. Shaping a jade bead requires an exceptional know-how and skill which culminated during the reign of Qianlong. In the 19th century the Empress Dowager Cixi was fond of them.
Despite the troubles in the China of the later Qing, the most important collections of jade beads were not mixed or separated. They have often been assembled, or re-assembled, into necklaces in the 20th century, with gently graduated bead sizes and with clasps in diamond or ruby. A perfect necklace must be uniform in color shade, in translucency and in texture, which requires that the elements have been carved from the same rough.
The prestige of jade reached the Western world. A lot of 27 highly reflective emerald green jadeite beads, between 15.4 and 19.2 mm in diameter, is included in 1933 in the inventory of Cartier.
It is mounted in the same year by Cartier as a necklace with a clasp in ruby and diamond, to be offered as a wedding gift to the wealthy Barbara Hutton by her father. As Christina Onassis later, Barbara Hutton had a difficult life. The husband's family kept the precious necklace.
Considered as the greatest jadeite necklace in existence, this jewel wins the highest auction price in its category each time it comes to auction : HK $ 15.6M in 1988 and HK $ 33M in 1994. It was sold for HK $ 214M by Sotheby's on April 7, 2014, lot 1847.
History of the Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace
The Hutton-Mdivani jadeite necklace, often hailed as one of the most iconic and valuable pieces of jadeite jewelry in history, combines imperial Chinese origins with Western high society provenance and Cartier craftsmanship. Below is a detailed overview of its history, drawing from auction records, expert analyses, and historical accounts.
Origins and Creation
The necklace features 27 graduated natural Type A jadeite beads, measuring approximately 15.4 to 19.2 mm in diameter, known for their exceptional translucency, fine texture, and vivid "imperial" emerald green color. These beads are believed to originate from the late Qing Dynasty (likely the 18th or 19th century), possibly from a Chinese imperial court necklace or similar artifact. Speculation suggests the beads may have been part of treasures lost or looted during the turbulent late Qing era, including European interventions such as the Opium Wars, though exact details remain mysterious. The jadeite was mined from the Hpakan region in Myanmar (Burma), renowned for producing "old mine" jadeite with dense structure and high quality. Crafting such large, perfectly matched beads required an enormous boulder of top-grade rough jadeite, with significant material wasted to achieve uniformity in color, size, and translucency—qualities that make it a "true and rare treasure of nature." The beads surfaced in Europe in the early 1930s, reflecting Cartier's growing fascination with Chinese jade during that period.
In 1933, the beads were commissioned into a necklace by Franklyn Laws Hutton, the father of American heiress Barbara Hutton, as a wedding gift for her marriage to Georgian Prince Alexis Mdivani. Prince Mdivani (or his family) brought the 27 flawless beads to Cartier in Paris, where they were strung into a necklace with an initial simple clasp featuring a single navette-cut diamond. The following year, in 1934, Barbara Hutton returned to Cartier to redesign the clasp into an Art Deco style, incorporating calibre-cut rubies (of brilliant red color) and baguette-cut diamonds, set in platinum and 18k yellow gold. This red-and-green contrast enhanced the jade's vibrancy, symbolizing Cartier's blend of Eastern gemstones with Western design. Hutton also commissioned a matching jadeite, ruby, and diamond ring, now part of the Cartier Collection.
Ownership and Provenance
Auction History and Significance
The necklace has shattered records multiple times, reflecting the growing global demand for imperial jadeite:
These green variants were the most precious jewels at the Qing imperial court, in the form of beads, cabochons and bangles, without superfluous embellishment. The history of the extraction of the stone is lost.
This mineral rock can be carved, which is not the case of the diamond which is cut. Shaping a jade bead requires an exceptional know-how and skill which culminated during the reign of Qianlong. In the 19th century the Empress Dowager Cixi was fond of them.
Despite the troubles in the China of the later Qing, the most important collections of jade beads were not mixed or separated. They have often been assembled, or re-assembled, into necklaces in the 20th century, with gently graduated bead sizes and with clasps in diamond or ruby. A perfect necklace must be uniform in color shade, in translucency and in texture, which requires that the elements have been carved from the same rough.
The prestige of jade reached the Western world. A lot of 27 highly reflective emerald green jadeite beads, between 15.4 and 19.2 mm in diameter, is included in 1933 in the inventory of Cartier.
It is mounted in the same year by Cartier as a necklace with a clasp in ruby and diamond, to be offered as a wedding gift to the wealthy Barbara Hutton by her father. As Christina Onassis later, Barbara Hutton had a difficult life. The husband's family kept the precious necklace.
Considered as the greatest jadeite necklace in existence, this jewel wins the highest auction price in its category each time it comes to auction : HK $ 15.6M in 1988 and HK $ 33M in 1994. It was sold for HK $ 214M by Sotheby's on April 7, 2014, lot 1847.
History of the Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace
The Hutton-Mdivani jadeite necklace, often hailed as one of the most iconic and valuable pieces of jadeite jewelry in history, combines imperial Chinese origins with Western high society provenance and Cartier craftsmanship. Below is a detailed overview of its history, drawing from auction records, expert analyses, and historical accounts.
Origins and Creation
The necklace features 27 graduated natural Type A jadeite beads, measuring approximately 15.4 to 19.2 mm in diameter, known for their exceptional translucency, fine texture, and vivid "imperial" emerald green color. These beads are believed to originate from the late Qing Dynasty (likely the 18th or 19th century), possibly from a Chinese imperial court necklace or similar artifact. Speculation suggests the beads may have been part of treasures lost or looted during the turbulent late Qing era, including European interventions such as the Opium Wars, though exact details remain mysterious. The jadeite was mined from the Hpakan region in Myanmar (Burma), renowned for producing "old mine" jadeite with dense structure and high quality. Crafting such large, perfectly matched beads required an enormous boulder of top-grade rough jadeite, with significant material wasted to achieve uniformity in color, size, and translucency—qualities that make it a "true and rare treasure of nature." The beads surfaced in Europe in the early 1930s, reflecting Cartier's growing fascination with Chinese jade during that period.
In 1933, the beads were commissioned into a necklace by Franklyn Laws Hutton, the father of American heiress Barbara Hutton, as a wedding gift for her marriage to Georgian Prince Alexis Mdivani. Prince Mdivani (or his family) brought the 27 flawless beads to Cartier in Paris, where they were strung into a necklace with an initial simple clasp featuring a single navette-cut diamond. The following year, in 1934, Barbara Hutton returned to Cartier to redesign the clasp into an Art Deco style, incorporating calibre-cut rubies (of brilliant red color) and baguette-cut diamonds, set in platinum and 18k yellow gold. This red-and-green contrast enhanced the jade's vibrancy, symbolizing Cartier's blend of Eastern gemstones with Western design. Hutton also commissioned a matching jadeite, ruby, and diamond ring, now part of the Cartier Collection.
Ownership and Provenance
- Barbara Hutton (1912–1979): Dubbed the "Million Dollar Baby," Hutton was the granddaughter of Woolworth founder Frank Winfield Woolworth and inherited a vast fortune. A passionate collector of exquisite jewels, she amassed pieces like the Pasha diamond ring, the Marie-Antoinette pearl necklace, and Romanov emeralds. The jadeite necklace complemented her refined yet opulent style, symbolizing understated elegance. She wore it during her glamorous but tumultuous life, which included seven marriages (the first to Mdivani ending in divorce in 1935).
- Post-Hutton Ownership: After Hutton, the necklace passed to her close friend Louise Van Alen, who married into the Mdivani family (specifically to Prince Serge Mdivani, Alexis's brother). It then went to Princess Nina Mdivani, Alexis's sister and a prominent socialite. The Mdivani family—Georgian nobility exiled after the Russian Revolution—held the necklace for over 50 years, adding to its aristocratic allure.
Auction History and Significance
The necklace has shattered records multiple times, reflecting the growing global demand for imperial jadeite:
- 1988: Debuted at auction (likely Sotheby's or Christie's), selling for $2 million—the highest price ever for jadeite jewelry at the time, sparking international interest.
- 1994: Sold at Christie's Hong Kong for $4.2 million, doubling the previous record and cementing its status as a legendary piece.
- 2014: Auctioned at Sotheby's Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale for HK$214,040,000 (approximately $27.44 million), far exceeding its $12.8 million estimate after a 20-minute bidding war involving six bidders. Purchased by the Cartier Collection, it set world records for any jadeite jewel and any Cartier jewel.
1933 Peinture by MIRO
1
2017 SOLD for $ 23.4M by Christie's
Since his surrealist period Joan Miro knows that painting is no more than colors on a support. He begins to name his own paintings with their elementary description : "Peinture", sometimes with a subtitle. His desire is poetic. In 1927 he is very close to abstraction with pictures of a nocturnal atmosphere where hardly perceptible spots and lines coexist.
For the surrealists this trend is an inadmissible drift. Miro does not agree with the communist affiliations of the group. The break is snarling. When Miro announced to Tériade in 1930 that he wanted to assassinate the painting, it meant that he desired to define a new art, alone, without the influence of any past or present school.
For the next two years he tries collages that do not satisfy him. In early 1933 in his mother's apartment in Barcelona, he defines a two-step process for a homogeneous series of 18 artworks. He prepares 18 maquettes by gluing folded or crumpled papers. Each oil on canvas will be inspired by one of these models without being a copy. The title "Peinture" is reused for this series.
This post-Dadaist process may seem complex compared to direct painting. Miro knows that his imagination is unlimited. He probably wanted to bring a guide for avoiding any figuration. He expresses his subconscious by a composition similar to the 1927 Peintures except that the spots inspired by the collages are brightly colored, appearing as abstract objects floating ahead of the night.
A Peinture, oil on canvas 130 x 162 cm from the 1933 series, was sold for $ 23.4M from a lower estimate of $ 18M by Christie's on November 13, 2017, lot 31 A.
The Constellations painted in response to the outbreak of World War II are similar in design to the Peintures of 1927 and 1933. The dream of the starry night is now confessed by the artist and the mythical theme of the constellation brings some figuration.
For the surrealists this trend is an inadmissible drift. Miro does not agree with the communist affiliations of the group. The break is snarling. When Miro announced to Tériade in 1930 that he wanted to assassinate the painting, it meant that he desired to define a new art, alone, without the influence of any past or present school.
For the next two years he tries collages that do not satisfy him. In early 1933 in his mother's apartment in Barcelona, he defines a two-step process for a homogeneous series of 18 artworks. He prepares 18 maquettes by gluing folded or crumpled papers. Each oil on canvas will be inspired by one of these models without being a copy. The title "Peinture" is reused for this series.
This post-Dadaist process may seem complex compared to direct painting. Miro knows that his imagination is unlimited. He probably wanted to bring a guide for avoiding any figuration. He expresses his subconscious by a composition similar to the 1927 Peintures except that the spots inspired by the collages are brightly colored, appearing as abstract objects floating ahead of the night.
A Peinture, oil on canvas 130 x 162 cm from the 1933 series, was sold for $ 23.4M from a lower estimate of $ 18M by Christie's on November 13, 2017, lot 31 A.
The Constellations painted in response to the outbreak of World War II are similar in design to the Peintures of 1927 and 1933. The dream of the starry night is now confessed by the artist and the mythical theme of the constellation brings some figuration.
2
2013 SOLD for $ 11M by Christie's
Miro was the poet of art, admired by the Surrealists in the early days of their movement. The independence of hiscreative process would however be disagreed in the group.
In 1933 he played with colored paper, featuring them on surfaces, creating shapes connected by lines, and at the end glueing them. Miro's collages are a new artistic language unrelated to the Cubist researches of dispositioning plans. Once the collage done, he painted the same forms on fairly large canvas.
An oil on canvas 146 x 115cm was sold for $ 11M by Christie's on May 8, 2013. It is simply titled "Peinture". If there were a suprematism in poetry, Miro would be its champion.
This is indeed nothing but a painting. Something like a Kandinsky without hidden semiotic intentions. The observer never had as much freedom as in the abstract works of Miro. If he wants to see something other than a painting, he can, and the artist wishes that he does it. The success of the exhibition of Peintures of Miro by Pierre Matisse in NewYork was dazzling.
In 1933 he played with colored paper, featuring them on surfaces, creating shapes connected by lines, and at the end glueing them. Miro's collages are a new artistic language unrelated to the Cubist researches of dispositioning plans. Once the collage done, he painted the same forms on fairly large canvas.
An oil on canvas 146 x 115cm was sold for $ 11M by Christie's on May 8, 2013. It is simply titled "Peinture". If there were a suprematism in poetry, Miro would be its champion.
This is indeed nothing but a painting. Something like a Kandinsky without hidden semiotic intentions. The observer never had as much freedom as in the abstract works of Miro. If he wants to see something other than a painting, he can, and the artist wishes that he does it. The success of the exhibition of Peintures of Miro by Pierre Matisse in NewYork was dazzling.
1933 Supercomplication by Patek Philippe
2014 SOLD for CHF 23.2M by Sotheby's
Patek Philippe knew to listen to their wealthy private clients. The Geneva brand remains for that reason since over a century the pioneer of miniaturization accompanied by an increasing number of complications in pocket watches and later in wristwatches.
By 1900, the Palmer specimen was a pocket watch with minute repeater, months, days of the week, split-second chronograph, grande and petite sonnerie and the phases of the moon.
James Ward Packard, the car industrialist, was one of the most demanding customers of Patek Philippe. In 1916, he obtained a pocket watch with sixteen complications, and in 1927 he had a celestial chart added to nine other complications in a single watch.
When Packard died in 1928, the New York banker Henry Graves Jr. had already ordered the world's most complicated pocket watch, with 24 complications divided into two dials including the night time sky from New York City.
Completed in 1932, the Supercomplication is a unique piece for which Patek Philippe had mobilized their best specialists. The assembly of its 920 components in a case 74 mm in diameter and 36 mm thick is a technical feat that will remain unmatched until the era of computer-aided design.
The Supercomplication was delivered to Graves on 19 January 1933 for CHF 60K, nearly five times the price of the ultimate Packard watch. It was sold by Sotheby's for $ 11M on December 2, 1999 and for CHF 23.2M on November 11, 2014, lot 345. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
By 1900, the Palmer specimen was a pocket watch with minute repeater, months, days of the week, split-second chronograph, grande and petite sonnerie and the phases of the moon.
James Ward Packard, the car industrialist, was one of the most demanding customers of Patek Philippe. In 1916, he obtained a pocket watch with sixteen complications, and in 1927 he had a celestial chart added to nine other complications in a single watch.
When Packard died in 1928, the New York banker Henry Graves Jr. had already ordered the world's most complicated pocket watch, with 24 complications divided into two dials including the night time sky from New York City.
Completed in 1932, the Supercomplication is a unique piece for which Patek Philippe had mobilized their best specialists. The assembly of its 920 components in a case 74 mm in diameter and 36 mm thick is a technical feat that will remain unmatched until the era of computer-aided design.
The Supercomplication was delivered to Graves on 19 January 1933 for CHF 60K, nearly five times the price of the ultimate Packard watch. It was sold by Sotheby's for $ 11M on December 2, 1999 and for CHF 23.2M on November 11, 2014, lot 345. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Compare Patek Philippe Supercomplication, delivered to Graves in 1933, to Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce, delivered to S. Smith in 1921, sold for $ 7.7M by Sotheby's on December 8, 2025, lot 39. The video narrating the Grosse Pièce is shared by the auction house.
Overview
Both the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication (delivered 1933) and the Audemars Piguet "Grosse Pièce" (also known as the S. Smith & Son Astronomical Watch, delivered 1921) are among the most extraordinary ultra-complicated pocket watches of the early 20th century. They represent the pinnacle of pre-computer horological engineering, featuring personalized astronomical displays and a vast array of complications. The Patek is often hailed as the most complicated watch ever made without computational aid until 1989, while the AP is Audemars Piguet's most comprehensive astronomical pocket watch and ties as its most complicated overall (with the 1899 Universelle).
Key Comparison
AspectPatek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication (1933)Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce (1921)
Commissioned/Delivered
Patek : Commissioned ~1925; delivered January 19, 1933
AP : Commissioned 1914; delivered 1921
Number of Complications
Patek : 24 (world's most complicated mechanical watch 1933–1989)
AP : 19 (ties as AP's most complicated pocket watch)
Case Material & Size
Patek : 18k yellow gold; ~74mm diameter
AP : 18k yellow gold; ~80mm diameter ("Big Piece")
Key Features
Patek : - Westminster chimes on bells - Perpetual calendar - Chronograph with split-seconds - Minute repeater - Sunrise/sunset times - Equation of time - Moon phases & age - Sidereal time - Power reserve - Personalized celestial chart of New York sky (from Graves' apartment at 834 Fifth Avenue) - Over 900 parts
AP : - Grande & petite sonnerie - Minute repeater - Chronograph (likely split-seconds) - Perpetual calendar - Moon phases & age - Equation of time - Sidereal time - Tourbillon (AP's only in a pocket watch of this era) - Personalized celestial chart of London sky (315 stars, 18 constellations)
Unique Highlights
Patek : Held record for most complications for 56 years; personalized for New York; iconic Westminster chimes
AP : Earliest known sky chart in an AP watch (predates similar Patek features); only 20th-century ultra-complicated AP pocket watch; showcased at 1920 Geneva Exhibition
Historical Significance
Patek : Commissioned by banker Henry Graves Jr. to surpass rivals; remains the most complicated non-computer-aided watch
AP : Commissioned via London retailer S. Smith & Son; hidden for decades until 1990s rediscovery; reacquired by AP in 2025 for museum display
Auction Record
Patek : Sold for $24 million (2014, record at the time for any watch)
AP : Sold for $7.7 million (2025, record for any Audemars Piguet watch)
Summary
The Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication edges out in sheer complexity (24 vs. 19 complications) and historical fame as the long-standing "most complicated" watch. The Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce stands out for its earlier creation, pioneering sky chart (predating similar Patek innovations), and rare tourbillon integration. Both are bespoke masterpieces tailored to specific locations (New York vs. London), embodying the era's rivalry in ultra-complicated horology between elite collectors and Swiss manufactures.
Overview
Both the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication (delivered 1933) and the Audemars Piguet "Grosse Pièce" (also known as the S. Smith & Son Astronomical Watch, delivered 1921) are among the most extraordinary ultra-complicated pocket watches of the early 20th century. They represent the pinnacle of pre-computer horological engineering, featuring personalized astronomical displays and a vast array of complications. The Patek is often hailed as the most complicated watch ever made without computational aid until 1989, while the AP is Audemars Piguet's most comprehensive astronomical pocket watch and ties as its most complicated overall (with the 1899 Universelle).
Key Comparison
AspectPatek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication (1933)Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce (1921)
Commissioned/Delivered
Patek : Commissioned ~1925; delivered January 19, 1933
AP : Commissioned 1914; delivered 1921
Number of Complications
Patek : 24 (world's most complicated mechanical watch 1933–1989)
AP : 19 (ties as AP's most complicated pocket watch)
Case Material & Size
Patek : 18k yellow gold; ~74mm diameter
AP : 18k yellow gold; ~80mm diameter ("Big Piece")
Key Features
Patek : - Westminster chimes on bells - Perpetual calendar - Chronograph with split-seconds - Minute repeater - Sunrise/sunset times - Equation of time - Moon phases & age - Sidereal time - Power reserve - Personalized celestial chart of New York sky (from Graves' apartment at 834 Fifth Avenue) - Over 900 parts
AP : - Grande & petite sonnerie - Minute repeater - Chronograph (likely split-seconds) - Perpetual calendar - Moon phases & age - Equation of time - Sidereal time - Tourbillon (AP's only in a pocket watch of this era) - Personalized celestial chart of London sky (315 stars, 18 constellations)
Unique Highlights
Patek : Held record for most complications for 56 years; personalized for New York; iconic Westminster chimes
AP : Earliest known sky chart in an AP watch (predates similar Patek features); only 20th-century ultra-complicated AP pocket watch; showcased at 1920 Geneva Exhibition
Historical Significance
Patek : Commissioned by banker Henry Graves Jr. to surpass rivals; remains the most complicated non-computer-aided watch
AP : Commissioned via London retailer S. Smith & Son; hidden for decades until 1990s rediscovery; reacquired by AP in 2025 for museum display
Auction Record
Patek : Sold for $24 million (2014, record at the time for any watch)
AP : Sold for $7.7 million (2025, record for any Audemars Piguet watch)
Summary
The Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication edges out in sheer complexity (24 vs. 19 complications) and historical fame as the long-standing "most complicated" watch. The Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce stands out for its earlier creation, pioneering sky chart (predating similar Patek innovations), and rare tourbillon integration. Both are bespoke masterpieces tailored to specific locations (New York vs. London), embodying the era's rivalry in ultra-complicated horology between elite collectors and Swiss manufactures.
1933 Double Eagle
2021 SOLD for $ 19M by Sotheby's
The hoarding of gold jeopardized the US economy. One of the very first decisions made by President F.D. Roosevelt, expressed by the Presidential Order of April 5, 1933, was the confiscation of gold.
The crisis had lasted since 1924 and the production of eagles and double eagles was considerably slowed down. The production of the 312,500 eagles of 1933 was finished before April 5 and this denomination was legal at that time. The production of the double eagles, which was in progress, was not interrupted : this batch was the last US gold coin struck for circulation.
On September 13, 1934, all gold coins in federal stocks were declared obsolete (uncurrent). In the following month two 1933 double eagles were sent to the Smithsonian for the National Collection as non-monetized samples. 445,469 pieces were in the vaults. This stock was melted in 1937.
Ten pieces escaped that melting, certainly stolen by the cashier of the Mint who will be jailed in 1940 for another scam. All of them were recovered and destroyed by the government except one that King Farouk had managed to acquire in 1944. The King had obtained for this piece an export license issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, either simply by mistake or to please that powerful sovereign. This license being federal, the Farouk specimen became the only 1933 double eagle with some legal US status. Any other example is illegal to own.
Removed at the request of the US government from the auction of the Farouk collections in 1954, the double eagle resurfaced in 1996, brought to New York by an English dealer. He was caught in the act by the FBI during his negotiations with his American customer.
The coin of the English dealer was with no doubt the ex Farouk specimen. A judicial compromise was found in 2001. The double eagle was listed for auction on July 20, 2002 by Sotheby's and Stack's. In order to declare for the first time the official release of this specific coin, the buyer was required to pay to the federal government its face value of $ 20 in addition to the auction final price : it was sold for $ 7,590,020. Here is the link to the catalog in the website of Stack's Bowers, successor to Stack's.
This coin was sold for $ 19M from a lower estimate of $ 10M by Sotheby's on June 8, 2021, lot 1. Its highly essential 2002 Certificate of Monetization is joined to the lot. It had been re-inspected in March 2021 by PCGS and graded Gem brilliant uncirculated MS 65.
The crisis had lasted since 1924 and the production of eagles and double eagles was considerably slowed down. The production of the 312,500 eagles of 1933 was finished before April 5 and this denomination was legal at that time. The production of the double eagles, which was in progress, was not interrupted : this batch was the last US gold coin struck for circulation.
On September 13, 1934, all gold coins in federal stocks were declared obsolete (uncurrent). In the following month two 1933 double eagles were sent to the Smithsonian for the National Collection as non-monetized samples. 445,469 pieces were in the vaults. This stock was melted in 1937.
Ten pieces escaped that melting, certainly stolen by the cashier of the Mint who will be jailed in 1940 for another scam. All of them were recovered and destroyed by the government except one that King Farouk had managed to acquire in 1944. The King had obtained for this piece an export license issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, either simply by mistake or to please that powerful sovereign. This license being federal, the Farouk specimen became the only 1933 double eagle with some legal US status. Any other example is illegal to own.
Removed at the request of the US government from the auction of the Farouk collections in 1954, the double eagle resurfaced in 1996, brought to New York by an English dealer. He was caught in the act by the FBI during his negotiations with his American customer.
The coin of the English dealer was with no doubt the ex Farouk specimen. A judicial compromise was found in 2001. The double eagle was listed for auction on July 20, 2002 by Sotheby's and Stack's. In order to declare for the first time the official release of this specific coin, the buyer was required to pay to the federal government its face value of $ 20 in addition to the auction final price : it was sold for $ 7,590,020. Here is the link to the catalog in the website of Stack's Bowers, successor to Stack's.
This coin was sold for $ 19M from a lower estimate of $ 10M by Sotheby's on June 8, 2021, lot 1. Its highly essential 2002 Certificate of Monetization is joined to the lot. It had been re-inspected in March 2021 by PCGS and graded Gem brilliant uncirculated MS 65.
Compare to 1907 UHR
The 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Ultra High Relief (UHR) and the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle represent two pinnacles of U.S. numismatics, both designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens under President Theodore Roosevelt's coinage renaissance. The 1907 UHR was an experimental pattern with dramatic, medallic relief that proved too challenging for mass production, leading to fewer than 20 survivors. In contrast, the 1933 is a low-relief circulation strike from the series' final year, with nearly all 445,500 minted examples melted under Executive Order 6102 amid the Great Depression and gold recall—leaving just 13 known survivors, most held by the U.S. government. The 1907 UHR emphasizes artistic innovation, while the 1933 embodies economic turmoil and legal intrigue, with only one legally ownable private example (the Weitzman specimen).
Key contrasts: The 1907 UHR coins boast extreme relief (up to 9-11 strikes needed) for a three-dimensional, artistic effect, while the 1933 uses flattened relief for efficient minting—resulting in less dramatic but more practical production. All share the striding Liberty obverse and flying eagle reverse, but 1907 UHR often features Roman numerals (MCMVII) and experimental edges, versus the 1933's Arabic date and standard reeded edge. Rarity drives value: 1907 UHR survivors are all collectible (driving $2-4M prices), but the 1933's scarcity and legal battles elevate it to $18M+ status.
Legal Saga
The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, often hailed as the "most beautiful" U.S. coin ever produced, is shrouded in a decades-long legal saga that intertwines economic policy, theft, international intrigue, and courtroom battles. Designed by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt, the $20 gold piece features a striding Liberty on the obverse and a flying eagle on the reverse. While the series ran from 1907 to 1933, the final year's issue became infamous due to the Great Depression-era gold recall, making nearly all examples illegal to own privately. Below is a chronological breakdown of the key events, drawn from historical accounts and legal records.
Economic Backdrop and the Melting
In March 1933, amid the banking crisis, the Philadelphia Mint struck 445,500 Double Eagles as part of routine production. However, on April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102, prohibiting private gold ownership to stabilize the economy by abandoning the gold standard. This required citizens to surrender gold coins, bullion, and certificates to the Federal Reserve in exchange for paper currency at $20.67 per ounce. Consequently, the entire 1933 mintage was ordered melted down before any could enter circulation—except for two specimens preserved for the National Numismatic Collection (now in the Smithsonian). No 1933 Double Eagles were ever officially monetized or released, rendering any survivors government property subject to seizure.
The Escapes: Theft and Early Dispersal
Despite the ban, around 20 coins illicitly left the Mint, likely through theft involving Mint cashier George McCann and Philadelphia jeweler Israel Switt. Switt sold at least nine examples to collectors between 1937 and 1944 for $500 each. The U.S. Secret Service, tasked with enforcing the gold ban, traced and seized several in the 1940s and 1950s, melting them down. By the 1950s, the government had recovered and destroyed nine, leaving 13 known survivors today: the two in the Smithsonian, ten later seized from the Langbord family, and one in private hands.
The Farouk Coin: International Intrigue and Legal Monetization
One escaped coin surfaced in 1944 when King Farouk of Egypt, a avid collector, acquired it through a dealer. The U.S. State Department issued an export license, but later claimed it was erroneous, asserting the coin was stolen Mint property. After Farouk's 1952 overthrow, his collection was auctioned in 1954, but the Double Eagle was withdrawn at U.S. insistence and vanished for over 40 years.
It reemerged in 1996 when British dealer Stephen Fenton attempted to sell it to an undercover informant in New York for $1.5 million. The Secret Service seized it, leading to a high-profile lawsuit (United States v. A 1933 Double Eagle). Fenton argued legitimate ownership via the Farouk chain, while the government insisted it was stolen. After five years of litigation, a 2002 settlement allowed the U.S. Mint to "monetize" the coin—officially issuing it for its $20 face value—making it the only legally ownable 1933 Double Eagle. It was then auctioned by Sotheby's/Stack's for $7.59 million (including a $20 payment to the Mint), setting a world record at the time. The buyer remained anonymous until 2021, when it was revealed as shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, who resold it at Sotheby's for $18.872 million—still the highest price ever for a coin.
The Langbord Hoard: A Family's Fight
In 2003, Joan Langbord (daughter of Israel Switt) discovered ten 1933 Double Eagles in a family safe deposit box. The family surrendered them to the Mint for authentication, but the government retained them, claiming they were stolen property from the 1930s thefts. The Langbords sued in 2006 (Langbord v. United States), seeking return or compensation. A 2011 district court initially ruled in their favor, citing improper seizure without forfeiture proceedings. However, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this in 2012, and after further trials, a 2015 jury found the coins were indeed stolen. The appeals court affirmed in 2016, forfeiting them to the government, which now holds them at Fort Knox. The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in 2017, ending the case. Roy Langbord later reflected on the ordeal as a costly battle over what he believed was rightful inheritance.
Current Status and Legacy
Today, owning a 1933 Double Eagle remains illegal except for the Weitzman specimen, with any others considered U.S. government property. The saga underscores tensions between numismatic passion, property rights, and federal authority, inspiring books, documentaries, and ongoing speculation about undiscovered examples. The coin's rarity and drama have cemented its status as numismatics' "Holy Grail," with values soaring due to its forbidden allure.
The 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Ultra High Relief (UHR) and the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle represent two pinnacles of U.S. numismatics, both designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens under President Theodore Roosevelt's coinage renaissance. The 1907 UHR was an experimental pattern with dramatic, medallic relief that proved too challenging for mass production, leading to fewer than 20 survivors. In contrast, the 1933 is a low-relief circulation strike from the series' final year, with nearly all 445,500 minted examples melted under Executive Order 6102 amid the Great Depression and gold recall—leaving just 13 known survivors, most held by the U.S. government. The 1907 UHR emphasizes artistic innovation, while the 1933 embodies economic turmoil and legal intrigue, with only one legally ownable private example (the Weitzman specimen).
Key contrasts: The 1907 UHR coins boast extreme relief (up to 9-11 strikes needed) for a three-dimensional, artistic effect, while the 1933 uses flattened relief for efficient minting—resulting in less dramatic but more practical production. All share the striding Liberty obverse and flying eagle reverse, but 1907 UHR often features Roman numerals (MCMVII) and experimental edges, versus the 1933's Arabic date and standard reeded edge. Rarity drives value: 1907 UHR survivors are all collectible (driving $2-4M prices), but the 1933's scarcity and legal battles elevate it to $18M+ status.
Legal Saga
The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, often hailed as the "most beautiful" U.S. coin ever produced, is shrouded in a decades-long legal saga that intertwines economic policy, theft, international intrigue, and courtroom battles. Designed by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt, the $20 gold piece features a striding Liberty on the obverse and a flying eagle on the reverse. While the series ran from 1907 to 1933, the final year's issue became infamous due to the Great Depression-era gold recall, making nearly all examples illegal to own privately. Below is a chronological breakdown of the key events, drawn from historical accounts and legal records.
Economic Backdrop and the Melting
In March 1933, amid the banking crisis, the Philadelphia Mint struck 445,500 Double Eagles as part of routine production. However, on April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102, prohibiting private gold ownership to stabilize the economy by abandoning the gold standard. This required citizens to surrender gold coins, bullion, and certificates to the Federal Reserve in exchange for paper currency at $20.67 per ounce. Consequently, the entire 1933 mintage was ordered melted down before any could enter circulation—except for two specimens preserved for the National Numismatic Collection (now in the Smithsonian). No 1933 Double Eagles were ever officially monetized or released, rendering any survivors government property subject to seizure.
The Escapes: Theft and Early Dispersal
Despite the ban, around 20 coins illicitly left the Mint, likely through theft involving Mint cashier George McCann and Philadelphia jeweler Israel Switt. Switt sold at least nine examples to collectors between 1937 and 1944 for $500 each. The U.S. Secret Service, tasked with enforcing the gold ban, traced and seized several in the 1940s and 1950s, melting them down. By the 1950s, the government had recovered and destroyed nine, leaving 13 known survivors today: the two in the Smithsonian, ten later seized from the Langbord family, and one in private hands.
The Farouk Coin: International Intrigue and Legal Monetization
One escaped coin surfaced in 1944 when King Farouk of Egypt, a avid collector, acquired it through a dealer. The U.S. State Department issued an export license, but later claimed it was erroneous, asserting the coin was stolen Mint property. After Farouk's 1952 overthrow, his collection was auctioned in 1954, but the Double Eagle was withdrawn at U.S. insistence and vanished for over 40 years.
It reemerged in 1996 when British dealer Stephen Fenton attempted to sell it to an undercover informant in New York for $1.5 million. The Secret Service seized it, leading to a high-profile lawsuit (United States v. A 1933 Double Eagle). Fenton argued legitimate ownership via the Farouk chain, while the government insisted it was stolen. After five years of litigation, a 2002 settlement allowed the U.S. Mint to "monetize" the coin—officially issuing it for its $20 face value—making it the only legally ownable 1933 Double Eagle. It was then auctioned by Sotheby's/Stack's for $7.59 million (including a $20 payment to the Mint), setting a world record at the time. The buyer remained anonymous until 2021, when it was revealed as shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, who resold it at Sotheby's for $18.872 million—still the highest price ever for a coin.
The Langbord Hoard: A Family's Fight
In 2003, Joan Langbord (daughter of Israel Switt) discovered ten 1933 Double Eagles in a family safe deposit box. The family surrendered them to the Mint for authentication, but the government retained them, claiming they were stolen property from the 1930s thefts. The Langbords sued in 2006 (Langbord v. United States), seeking return or compensation. A 2011 district court initially ruled in their favor, citing improper seizure without forfeiture proceedings. However, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this in 2012, and after further trials, a 2015 jury found the coins were indeed stolen. The appeals court affirmed in 2016, forfeiting them to the government, which now holds them at Fort Knox. The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in 2017, ending the case. Roy Langbord later reflected on the ordeal as a costly battle over what he believed was rightful inheritance.
Current Status and Legacy
Today, owning a 1933 Double Eagle remains illegal except for the Weitzman specimen, with any others considered U.S. government property. The saga underscores tensions between numismatic passion, property rights, and federal authority, inspiring books, documentaries, and ongoing speculation about undiscovered examples. The coin's rarity and drama have cemented its status as numismatics' "Holy Grail," with values soaring due to its forbidden allure.
Wie wurde die teuerste Münze der Auktionsgeschichte eigentlich zur teuersten Münze der Auktionsgeschichte? #münzen #numismatik #auktion #sammeln
— Barnebys.de (@Barnebysde) March 28, 2022
1933 La Reconnaissance Infinie by Magritte
2025 SOLD for £ 10.3M by Christie's
In 1933 a solo exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels featured more than 50 works by René Magritte, most of them executed in the later 1920s.
Recently introduced in the Surrealist group of Brussels, the young poet Paul Colinet was dazzled. He prepared a sketch which is a synthesis of Magritte's surrealist vision.
A scenery of majestic stylized mountains is bordered by a window whose left side is missing. A gigantic white orb is floating in mid air with a tiny gentleman standing in its top. The shadows of mountain and orb are in contradiction.
The orb may be the ball of a bilboquet, that game introduced in art by Morandi and extensively recuperated by Magritte in his early works. It may also be an oversized crystal ball.
After the closure of the exhibition, Magritte executed a painting from Colinet's composition. This oil on canvas 100 x 70 cm was sold for £ 10.3M from a lower estimate of £ 6M by Christie's on March 5, 2025, lot 108.
The title, La Reconnaissance infinie, probably coined by Colinet, is based on the double meaning of the word, used both for acknowledging Magritte's pioneering style and for the geographical survey of the man looking straight into some infinity.
Probably by chance, this painting matches the everlasting quest in Chinese art for the position of small men within the huge sceneries of the world.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Mar 5
Next, René Magritte's exceptional canvas 'La reconnaissance infinie' affirms the strong interest in the artist's work, exceeding the high estimate as it sells for £10,315,000.
Recently introduced in the Surrealist group of Brussels, the young poet Paul Colinet was dazzled. He prepared a sketch which is a synthesis of Magritte's surrealist vision.
A scenery of majestic stylized mountains is bordered by a window whose left side is missing. A gigantic white orb is floating in mid air with a tiny gentleman standing in its top. The shadows of mountain and orb are in contradiction.
The orb may be the ball of a bilboquet, that game introduced in art by Morandi and extensively recuperated by Magritte in his early works. It may also be an oversized crystal ball.
After the closure of the exhibition, Magritte executed a painting from Colinet's composition. This oil on canvas 100 x 70 cm was sold for £ 10.3M from a lower estimate of £ 6M by Christie's on March 5, 2025, lot 108.
The title, La Reconnaissance infinie, probably coined by Colinet, is based on the double meaning of the word, used both for acknowledging Magritte's pioneering style and for the geographical survey of the man looking straight into some infinity.
Probably by chance, this painting matches the everlasting quest in Chinese art for the position of small men within the huge sceneries of the world.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Mar 5
Next, René Magritte's exceptional canvas 'La reconnaissance infinie' affirms the strong interest in the artist's work, exceeding the high estimate as it sells for £10,315,000.
- The painting 'La reconnaissance infinie' by René Magritte, featured in the post, reflects Surrealism's aim to blend dream and reality, a movement born post-WWI in Europe, with a 1924 manifesto by André Breton shaping its focus on the unconscious, as noted in a 2025 Wikipedia update on Surrealism.
- Its sale for £10,315,000 at Christie's exceeds the high estimate, aligning with 2025 Art Market Trends from Artsy, which highlight a surge in demand for Surrealist works among young collectors, driven by increased digital engagement and transparency in the art market.
- Magritte’s use of a levitating sphere with a figure atop it challenges conventional physics and perception, a technique rooted in Surrealist automatism, supported by studies like those in the Journal of Aesthetic Education (2010) on how such imagery stimulates cognitive dissonance and creative thinking.
1933 Alfa Romeo Monza 8C 2300
2016 SOLD for $ 12M by Gooding
Developed in 1931 by Vittorio Jano, the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 supercharged sports model is ahead of its time with its 2,300 cc straight 8 cylinder engine on a stiff chassis. About 188 cars were produced.
An 8C 2300 Monza was sold by Gooding for $ 6.7M on August 15, 2010, lot 117, and for $ 12M on August 21, 2016, lot 128. It had been illustrated in 2010 in the article shared by Sports Car Digest. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This Alfa Romeo is in an original condition which is quite rare for a car from that time, including its matching number engine and a great traceability of the other elements.
The qualifier Monza applied to the short chassis version of the 8C 2300 after a victory in the Italian Grand Prix in the first year of the model in 1931.
The build of many early Monzas had been entrusted to Scuderia Ferrari which was a subsidiary of Alfa Romeo. It is not the case for the car for sale which is a rare factory built of 1933 coachworked by Brianza. It belongs to the third series when the 8C 2300 Monza had become a regular variant with a further shortened frame.
1933 had been a pivotal year for Alfa Romeo.
The 8C 2300 model begins to be replaced by the 8C 2600. Alfa Romeo goes under the effective control of the Fascist government desiring to make it a flagship of Italian industry. The brand does not maintain any more a works racing team despite the great success of the two previous years and a repositionment of the Scuderia Ferrari will be necessary.
An 8C 2300 Monza was sold by Gooding for $ 6.7M on August 15, 2010, lot 117, and for $ 12M on August 21, 2016, lot 128. It had been illustrated in 2010 in the article shared by Sports Car Digest. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This Alfa Romeo is in an original condition which is quite rare for a car from that time, including its matching number engine and a great traceability of the other elements.
The qualifier Monza applied to the short chassis version of the 8C 2300 after a victory in the Italian Grand Prix in the first year of the model in 1931.
The build of many early Monzas had been entrusted to Scuderia Ferrari which was a subsidiary of Alfa Romeo. It is not the case for the car for sale which is a rare factory built of 1933 coachworked by Brianza. It belongs to the third series when the 8C 2300 Monza had become a regular variant with a further shortened frame.
1933 had been a pivotal year for Alfa Romeo.
The 8C 2300 model begins to be replaced by the 8C 2600. Alfa Romeo goes under the effective control of the Fascist government desiring to make it a flagship of Italian industry. The brand does not maintain any more a works racing team despite the great success of the two previous years and a repositionment of the Scuderia Ferrari will be necessary.
1933-1934 Fleurs dans un Vase by Sanyu
2017 SOLD for € 8.8M by Aguttes
On December 18, 2017, Aguttes sold for € 8.8M from a lower estimate of € 3M a recently rediscovered still life painted by Sanyu showing a peony plant in a flower pot, lot 12. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
After the termination of his co-operation with Roché in 1931, Sanyu stops dating his artworks, perhaps because he shall give more attention to his creativity than to trade. The chronology of his art is uneasy to analyze.
This pot of peonies is made in minimalist colors consistent with the Roché period : the black and grays of the calligraphic line and the pink of the nudes. The staging of this plant with sharp lines is both effective and strange, like a colored negative succeeding his previous positive compositions on a light background. Leaves lined and ribbed with white are transparent in front of the black background like the skeletal leaves of a memento mori.
Two other elements converge to date this still life on the early 1930s although a slightly later date is also possible.
The oil 92 x 74 cm is painted on canvas. After the war Sanyu will prefer to work on masonite panels. It is visible in the undated photo of an exhibition wall, possibly from events organized in Amsterdam in 1933 and 1934 by a group of friends of the artist around the musician Johan Franco.
After the termination of his co-operation with Roché in 1931, Sanyu stops dating his artworks, perhaps because he shall give more attention to his creativity than to trade. The chronology of his art is uneasy to analyze.
This pot of peonies is made in minimalist colors consistent with the Roché period : the black and grays of the calligraphic line and the pink of the nudes. The staging of this plant with sharp lines is both effective and strange, like a colored negative succeeding his previous positive compositions on a light background. Leaves lined and ribbed with white are transparent in front of the black background like the skeletal leaves of a memento mori.
Two other elements converge to date this still life on the early 1930s although a slightly later date is also possible.
The oil 92 x 74 cm is painted on canvas. After the war Sanyu will prefer to work on masonite panels. It is visible in the undated photo of an exhibition wall, possibly from events organized in Amsterdam in 1933 and 1934 by a group of friends of the artist around the musician Johan Franco.
1933 Ugly Self Portrait by Kahlo
2022 SOLD for $ 8.6M by Christie's
In 1933 Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo stay in New York from March to end of year. While Diego works for the project of a mural for the Rockefeller center, Frida goes crazy with the dime stores of cheap costume jewelry. Lucienne Bloch is her shopping companion.
She soon gets bored of New York which she nicknames 'Gringolandia'. Her health is poor and she does not set to paint.
A self portrait on Celotex insulation board 27 x 22 cm is an exception, using colors that she was grinding for Diego's plastered fresco panels.
In her usual practice she endeavors to express her mood. She displays herself as very ugly, in her own words. It was in summer while she already was in homesickness for Mexico and while Diego had an affair with Louise Nevelson.
The low cost necklace is a sign of her disenchantment from New York. The background is tagged as Basquiat will do in the same city half a century later. Tags are read 'SIRV, OH! BOY, VERY U and FRIEDA (sic)' plus a sad bird and a big apple. The overall contour of the image is irregularly curved.
This emotional painting was gifted by Frida to Lucienne who kept it for half a century. It was sold for $ 8.6M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Christie's on November 17, 2022, lot 31.
She soon gets bored of New York which she nicknames 'Gringolandia'. Her health is poor and she does not set to paint.
A self portrait on Celotex insulation board 27 x 22 cm is an exception, using colors that she was grinding for Diego's plastered fresco panels.
In her usual practice she endeavors to express her mood. She displays herself as very ugly, in her own words. It was in summer while she already was in homesickness for Mexico and while Diego had an affair with Louise Nevelson.
The low cost necklace is a sign of her disenchantment from New York. The background is tagged as Basquiat will do in the same city half a century later. Tags are read 'SIRV, OH! BOY, VERY U and FRIEDA (sic)' plus a sad bird and a big apple. The overall contour of the image is irregularly curved.
This emotional painting was gifted by Frida to Lucienne who kept it for half a century. It was sold for $ 8.6M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Christie's on November 17, 2022, lot 31.
1933 Mademoiselle Poum Rachou by Lempicka
2021 SOLD for $ 7.8M by Sotheby's
Tamara de Lempicka was skilled in applying her signature Mannerist clear line style to psychological portraits of little girls including her daughter Kizette.
In 1933 Poum Rachou is standing with a watering can in a hand. With the other arm she tightly holds a big stuffed bear. The attitude is resolute but the toy with its bright eyes is clearly entrusted to protect her against the viewer. Her abundant curled blonde hair is pleasant.
This Portrait de Mademoiselle Poum Rachou, oil on canvas 92 x 47 cm, was acquired by Poum from the artist. It was sold for $ 7.8M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Sotheby's on November 16, 2021, lot 42.
In 1933 Poum Rachou is standing with a watering can in a hand. With the other arm she tightly holds a big stuffed bear. The attitude is resolute but the toy with its bright eyes is clearly entrusted to protect her against the viewer. Her abundant curled blonde hair is pleasant.
This Portrait de Mademoiselle Poum Rachou, oil on canvas 92 x 47 cm, was acquired by Poum from the artist. It was sold for $ 7.8M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Sotheby's on November 16, 2021, lot 42.
