LOS ANGELES—Avid coin collectors jumped at the chance to get their hands on a rare $20 “double eagle” gold coin at a Southern California auction house Tuesday afternoon, but only one walked away victorious after paying a hefty price.
The gold piece—minted in Carson City, Nevada, in 1870—sold for $1.44 million including the buyer’s premium, a fee paid to the Stack’s Bowers Galleries. Only 3,789 of them were produced and an estimated 40 to 50 remain, according to John Kraljevich, who specializes in coin history at the auction house.
