1792 cent "walks into" ANA show
Halfsense
Posts: 600 ✭✭✭
More information will be posted on Monday or Tuesday, along with photos, but I wanted to give everyone a quick word on exciting news from the ANA World's Fair of Money in Pittsburgh!
On Saturday, August 21, a family from upstate New York -- whose ancestors include Oliver Wolcott, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a Governor of Connecticut in the 1790s -- walked into the ANA convention with an heirloom coin.
After examination by a number of excited experts, it turns out to be a discovery coin: the 9th known specimen of a 1792 silver center cent WITHOUT the silver (Judd 2). It has been graded PCGS VF30. The family is considering options about possible sale of this wonderful coin. (The earliest recollection of this coin by the current owners is when their grandfather kept it with a dozen other old -- but "common" -- coins in a Prince Albert tobacco can! When he died, their father kept the can and coins in a small safe in the living room corner in an unlocked house in upstate New York.)
Based on its condition, its status as a discovery piece, the current market, and the coin's pedigree, Jim Halperin (and others) believe it is valued at $400,000 or more.
Associated Press has distributed a story about the coin, and you can find it online at a number of news websites.
Been a hectic/busy/exhausting week in Pittsburgh, but when something like this walks in the door it sure makes everything worthwhile. Makes you wonder what's still sitting out there!
-donn-
Donn Pearlman
On Saturday, August 21, a family from upstate New York -- whose ancestors include Oliver Wolcott, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a Governor of Connecticut in the 1790s -- walked into the ANA convention with an heirloom coin.
After examination by a number of excited experts, it turns out to be a discovery coin: the 9th known specimen of a 1792 silver center cent WITHOUT the silver (Judd 2). It has been graded PCGS VF30. The family is considering options about possible sale of this wonderful coin. (The earliest recollection of this coin by the current owners is when their grandfather kept it with a dozen other old -- but "common" -- coins in a Prince Albert tobacco can! When he died, their father kept the can and coins in a small safe in the living room corner in an unlocked house in upstate New York.)
Based on its condition, its status as a discovery piece, the current market, and the coin's pedigree, Jim Halperin (and others) believe it is valued at $400,000 or more.
Associated Press has distributed a story about the coin, and you can find it online at a number of news websites.
Been a hectic/busy/exhausting week in Pittsburgh, but when something like this walks in the door it sure makes everything worthwhile. Makes you wonder what's still sitting out there!
-donn-
Donn Pearlman
"If it happens in numismatics, it's news to me....
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Comments
That is truely a remakable event.What better place for it to happen than the ANA Show ?I'm quite sure that coin caused quite a stir among all the old timers.
Registry 1909-1958 Proof Lincolns
I assume they brought the coin into the show as a raw piece and was advised to go to the PCGS table and get that sucker authenticated and slabbed?
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Capped Bust Half Series
Capped Bust Half Dime Series
What a neat discovery, things like this make numismatics continually interesting.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
They were fortunate enough to get the walk-through grade service level at that busy show
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
<< <i>their grandfather kept it with a dozen other old -- but "common" -- coins in a Prince Albert tobacco can! >>
Wow! what a great story.
you can find dozens of "old cans and jars" of coins on ebay in the "collections" section
probably there's some treasures in those!
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Looking for 1967 PCGS/NGC slabbed coins.
A true discovery - something that was completely unknown before!
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http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--moneyshow0821aug21,0,462467.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire
-donn-
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-donn-
Russ, NCNE
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
<< <i>Wow! That's two years in a row the ANA show had blockbuster coins show up out of the blue. >>
Perhaps we should organize an ANA pool to see who can come closest to what new/lost - found/ultra rare coin(s) will pop up at the next one. Dollar a guess, winner splits the total gross. We need an impartial person to judge the winner, I'll bet we can find impartiallity on the Open Forum, just check out all the political posts
<< <i>Wow! That's two years in a row the ANA show had blockbuster coins show up out of the blue. >>
This one wasn't a publicity stunt, though.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>
<< <i>Wow! That's two years in a row the ANA show had blockbuster coins show up out of the blue. >>
This one wasn't a publicity stunt, though.
Russ, NCNE >>
Oh, you're such a cynic.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
Director of Numismatics
PCGS
Director of Numismatics
PCGS
That is a truly awesome find.
I have a question: I've read where the family has been described as decendants from Oliver Wolcott, a prominant politician of the 1790s. However, given that your picutre shows that this coin has seen signficant circulation, can we presume that Wolcott did NOT get the coin when it was struck? Indeed, might it be that Wolcott had nothing to do with the coin and that some other ancestor happened upon the coin in circulation?
Thanks for the great picture.
Mark
Looking for 1967 PCGS/NGC slabbed coins.
I personally saw this particular coin Saturday at the ANA convention, both raw and slabbed. As you can see by the photo posted by Michael Sherman (and taken by me under rather hurried and poorly-lit conditions), the coin has good centering; a nice strike (considering crude conditions in 1792 before the Mint opened); good chocolate color; and no planchet defects visible to naked eye. When I saw the "wear," I figured it was a pocket piece, proudly carried in pocket or change purse for some time two centuries ago.
Who knows?
We do know it is now only the 9th known example of this particular, historic coin, and it "walked in the door" at the ANA World's Fair of Money!
What else is lurking in old tobacco tins, coffee cans and sock drawers?
-donn-
-donn-