by Alison Frankel
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| List Price: | $15.95 |
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Product Description
"A thrilling page-turner....This is a great read."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
One coin, for years the only known 1933 twenty-dollar Double Eagle in the world, has inspired the passions of thieves and collectors, lawyers and charlatans. Its extraordinary story winds across seventy years and three continents, linking an almost unbelievable cast of characters: Theodore Roosevelt and a Philadelphia gold dealer with underworld connections; Egypt's King Farouk and an apple-cheeked Secret Service agent; London's most successful coin dealer and a retired trucker from Amarillo, Texas.
Alison Frankel's stylish narrative hums at the pace of a thriller. Her meticulously researched descriptions and vivid character studies bring the coin's history to life and illuminate the world of coin collecting, where the desire to possess often borders on madness. 8 pages of illustrations.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Wonderful story, 2007-07-26
This book is truly terrific, thoroughly engaging. One can tell the author went to great lengths to find out every little detail because there are no real gaps in a story that spans over 7 decades. Just a delight to read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Who knew?, 2006-06-13
Wow, who would have imagined that the world of coin collecting would be inhabited by the quirky collection of characters in this intriguing book? I loved the mystery of the story and the surprising and true journey of the double eagle. The book is very well written in a style that is both hard to put down and fun to read. I enjoyed the history of early twentieth century coins. The legal maneuverings in the story are great!
Read this book!
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Gripping, factual and extraodinarily well written., 2006-05-26
As a successful collector of St. Gaudens $20 I say this is by far the better of the few books about the chicanery, sneeky dealings and inevitabe "sting" surrounding the 1933 $20 Saint Gaudens. The author wastes no time jumping into the thick of things and every page is full of insight and great reading. There's no fluff in this book, it's cover to cover great "stuff"....the players, the government, the mint officials and the setup man, Izzy Switt are all followed in a way worthy of a murder mystery. What's also great is that inasmuch as this will appeal to the general public, it's really appealing to coin collectors because of the author's research into the inner dealings of the coin world. One coin...one incredible non-fiction novel!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
This Real-Life Detective Story Is On the Money!, 2006-05-25
I know nothing about coin collecting, but I bought this book on a whim -- the cover is striking -- and read the whole thing the first night. King Farouk, Teddy Roosevelt, obsessed Secret Service agents, shady coin dealers, clever lawyers... this book has it all, and I just couldn't stop reading until I finished the whole thing. Double Eagle is so much more than the saga of a gold coin. It's a compelling narrative, a fascinating work of history, an incisive study of collecting mania and, most of all, a thriller that ends with a twist that will shock you. I'd give it six stars if I could.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent book for collectors and non-collectors alike, 2006-05-13
I procured an advance copy on ebay, and I loved it. I learned quite a bit about coin collecting, 20th century numismatics, King Farouk, and collectibles and the law. It was a very enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it, for both coin collectors and non-collectors.
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