# How did the US actually pay for the Louisiana Purchase or Alaska? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2023, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991 "2023-10-24T03:50:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991/21 "2023-10-26T22:52:33Z")
That’s a lot of coin. Someone can please check my arithmetic, but in 1867 it would have equaled 360,000 US $20 gold eagles. Did Treasury _have_ 360,000 double eagles or equivalent? Or, would they have paid out silver dollars? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991/22 "2023-10-26T22:57:30Z")
I suspect the “in coin” was for the books and the money was placed in an account for Russia to use the $7M. No proof of this though. [This site](https://www.pnc.com/en/about-pnc/company-profile/legacy-project/predecessor-banks/riggs.html) implies he did walk away with bullion coins. $7M for Russia because the US gave de Stoeki $200,000 for his a-hem “work” ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991/23 "2023-10-26T22:59:20Z")
How do we know that? Most definitely “in coin” really meant something then, that’s why I asked. Sometimes called specie. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991/24 "2023-10-26T23:04:29Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Did Treasury _have_ 360,000 double eagles or equivalent? Now I’m starting to question myself. Looking at [this table](https://libertydoubleeagle.org/liberty-gold-double-eagle-mintage/), maybe Riggs could have 360,000 double eagles available … weighing in at just over 12 tons of gold coin. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991/25 "2023-10-26T23:17:08Z")
its pretty much the equllivant of someone buying your “marker” or like modern debt collection where credit card comp ny sells your debt to don corelone inc collections for 50-75 cents on a dollar and its up to them to get it back ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991/26 "2023-10-27T19:05:30Z")
I dunno! It certainly seems they were entitled to it, per the terms of the contract. It might have taken a while. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-actually-pay-for-the-louisiana-purchase-or-alaska/991991.md?page=1)