The 1933 Double Eagle Coin Courtesy of Sotheby's. Photography by SquareMoose A unique US coin broke its own world record yesterday when it sold for a staggering $18.9m (including fees), comfortably exceeding both its previous price of $7.6m set in 2002, and its pre-sale estimate of $10m to $15m. It also set a new world record for a coin at auction. The coin was previously part of a collection amassed by the US-based entrepreneur and renowned luxury shoe designer, Stuart Weitzman, items from which were presented at a three-lot sale at Sotheby’s in New York yesterday. The so-called "Double Eagle" (1933) was a series commissioned by President Roosevelt but melted down prior to circulation. The coin’s rarity is boosted by the fact that it is the only example to have been "legally sanctioned" for private ownership by the US Government. The new owner remains anonymous.