Heritage 1993 ANA: The Billy Fuller Collection
GeorgeKellogg
Posts: 1,251 ✭✭
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since the Billy Fuller Collection of Charlotte and Dahlonega gold was sold in Heritage's 1993 ANA Auction in Baltimore.
I purchased this Billy Fuller 1850-D gold dollar from Doug Winter soon after the auction. Mr. Fuller obtained the piece from Han€0€k and Harwell in 1980, information that I discovered after corresponding with the former owner. The 1850-D is considered a "sleeper date" in the Dahlonega gold dollar series. The photo is courtesy of BluCC.
If you have a Billy Fuller C or D-Mint piece, let's see it!
I purchased this Billy Fuller 1850-D gold dollar from Doug Winter soon after the auction. Mr. Fuller obtained the piece from Han€0€k and Harwell in 1980, information that I discovered after corresponding with the former owner. The 1850-D is considered a "sleeper date" in the Dahlonega gold dollar series. The photo is courtesy of BluCC.
If you have a Billy Fuller C or D-Mint piece, let's see it!
"Clamorous for Coin"
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Comments
What's going on around the lettering and devices?
<< <i>What's going on around the lettering and devices? >>
appears to be cleaning compound. more than i'm used to seeing but this coin has been locked away in this gen 5 slab for a while now so it will probably be there a while more. not a scarce slab.
sure do enjoy these "america's smallest coins!"
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<< <i>What's going on around the lettering and devices? >>
The subject of gray colored residue on gold coins came up in another thread, from which I'm pasting a pertinent portion.
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what is that in the letters of MOFFAT ? >>
Don't know and don't care. >>
Maybe this will pique RYK's interest! I have a few Dahlonega pieces that have that same light gray residue in the devices (see photo below, courtesy of BluCC).
I have a couple of theories as to the origin of the residue.
(1) It could be museum putty, but I don't know why the residue would be on both sides of the coin. Museums sometimes use putty to mount an item in the display case.
(2) It could be talcum powder from the King Farouk Collection. Farouk had a single $5 Moffat piece (according to Sotheby's The Palace Collections of Egypt catalog), but the catalog indicates that it was dated 1852 (not 1850). This must be a "typo," as $5 Moffats aren't known for the year 1852.
As further background, I quote Farouk dealer Hans M. F. Schulman, from page 330 of Dave Bowers' ABE KOSOFF: Dean of Numismatics. Mr. Schulman relates, "Because of the climate, King Farouk put talcum powder on his coins to protect their condition. It is therefore still today very easy to identify a 'Farouk coin:' the talcum powder left a certain trace."
Due to the scarcity of the Moffat piece and the belief that museum putty wouldn't be found on both sides of a coin, I feel that theory (2) is much more likely. Per my annotated sales room copy of The Palace Collections of Egypt, the Moffat $5 piece was sold as part of Lot 370 in the Cairo auction and was purchased for $70 Egyptian pounds (for the five coin lot) by Sol Kaplan, who incidently annotated the aforementioned catalog.
While not conclusive proof, I hope that this provides an opportunity for enjoyable contemplation by RYK.