Longacre “siblings” reunited after 154 years apart

Boosibri

I don’t post much on the US forum anymore as my interest have moved into collecting Latin American coins. However, I have a pair of coins to share which were recently reunited with a connection to the Philadelphia mint and to James B Longacre.

In 1866 through 1867 James Longacre and Anthony Paquet were commissioned by the Chilean government to redesign the coinage of the country and to provide the suitable dies for striking the nations coinage in Santiago. Due to restrictions placed on Longacre by the superintendent of the mint, Longacre oversaw the project, and Paquet executed the actual design of the coins.

Longacre died shortly after this commission and his estate was sold in an M. Thomas auction in 1870. There was an addenda to that sale which included a series of Chilean proofs, which he made for himself during the time in which he was designing the new coinage. In the auction amongst other minors, were two silver proof pesos, and four copper proof pesos.

If you follow the auctions after 1870 these coins bounced through various esteemed collections: Mickley, Stickney, Jenks, Farouk, Brand, Norweb and Pittman.

I recently acquired the copper peso (ex Brand/Norweb) at the CNG auction, pairing it with the silver peso I had acquired previously. I have traced the other copper pesos, and have images of them, which gives me confidence to say that this is the finest. The other silver peso is cleaned and was in the Farouk/Pittman collection while mine is graded proof 64 ex Canaparo, Millennia.

So as of today, siblings reunited after 154 years.

Further details here:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1095395/longacre-and-his-connection-to-chile-updated-with-discovery)

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1107300/1868-chile-copper-proof-peso#latest

johnny010

Wow that was a great short read and very cool you tracked these two down. Very cool and obviously ultra rare.

P0CKETCHANGE

Incredible! Thanks for the interesting context.

CaptHenway

Way Kewl!

Boosibri

@CaptHenway said:
Way Kewl!

Here is the Longacre addenda for those curious and the buyers

TheGoonies1985

Wow amazing coins thanks for sharing with us!!!

DCW

Great pieces, Brian!
I love the look of that eagle, especially in silver.

Boosibri

@DCW said:
Great pieces, Brian!
I love the look of that eagle, especially in silver.

Thanks Den. It’s actually the Chilean Condor, not an eagle.

I’m especially fond of the silver as well.

RobertScotLover

I always appreciate this sort of collecting style. Makes the coin hobby far more interesting

breakdown

Great post. It’s a good bet that Farouk is the cleaner of the other silver peso.

1northcoin

Too cool! Thanks for sharing.

Your post struck a personal note as I have a coin that has been traced back to that same 1870 Auction where it was offered as a Proof.

Since it was a coin designed by J.B. Longacre and held in his personal collection (along with its proof-like appearance, or as Max Mehl described it in a subsequent auction, "a brilliant semi-proof, almost equal to a brilliant proof") it likely is one of, if not the first, 1850 Double Eagle to have been minted.

coinkat

Great write up- best wishes in obtaining the other patterns.