My [Virgil] Brand New Purchase
GeorgeKellogg
Posts: 1,251 ✭✭
Here is a NEWP from the Virgil Brand Collection, graded AU55 by PCGS (Secure holder). I love coins with a famous provenance and am happy to have acquired this piece. It has a low mintage of 1,300 pieces.
Virgil Brand was one of the significant collectors of the early part of the 20th Century, making his fortune in the brewery business in Chicago. The date (1871) also has a Chicago connection, being the same year as the Great Chicago Fire.
I plan to display the piece at an upcoming coin show, along with other Brand memorabilia. The photo is courtesy of CoinFacts.
Virgil Brand was one of the significant collectors of the early part of the 20th Century, making his fortune in the brewery business in Chicago. The date (1871) also has a Chicago connection, being the same year as the Great Chicago Fire.
I plan to display the piece at an upcoming coin show, along with other Brand memorabilia. The photo is courtesy of CoinFacts.
"Clamorous for Coin"
1
Comments
PCGS Registries
Box of 20
SeaEagleCoins: 11/14/54-4/5/12. Miss you Larry!
What other Brand memorabilia do you have?
<< <i>What other Brand memorabilia do you have? >>
I've got nine postal envelopes addressed to Virgil Brand, several of which appear to be in his own handwriting, from a variety of coin dealers. I'm thinking that Mr. Brand probably self-addressed the envelope, so that the dealer could mail him a coin inventory listing. The dealers include J. Colvin Randall, H. E. Morey, Ben G. Green, J. C. Mitchelson, S. H. & H. Chapman, William Hesslein, Elmer S. Sears, Thomas L. Elder, and Lyman H. Low.
I also have a Continental and Commercial National Bank of Chicago deposit slip, in the amount of $2,060, dated February 9, 1921, made out in Mr. Brand's handwriting, with his signature at the top.
<< <i>Nice historical example! Appears to be PL! >>
The coin was Lot 237 in Part I of Bowers & Merena's Virgil M. Brand Collection auction (November 1983). According to the catalog, Dave Bowers was the cataloguer. He described the piece as "AU50, prooflike," and went on to say "Quite possibly this is a Proof which saw some circulation..."
Although there is evidence of a wire rim, which may have contributed to Mr. Bowers' statement, according to David Akers' commentary in his Three Dollar volume, the low placement of the date is indicative of a business strike. Mr. Akers stated that the Proofs were struck from a die with a more evenly spaced date (between "DOLLARS" and the bow). For the record, PCGS certified the coin as a business strike.
I think this is what makes numismatics so much fun!