Where are the Klauson / Franklin Hoard coins now?

Zoins

A number of territorial coins are attributed to Jack Klauson and Paul Gerow Franklin. Where are these coins now?

Do the TPGs certify these like the New Haven / Scovill Fugios, Bolen bar cent, Machin's Mills Halfpenny, etc.?

DaveWcoins

A number of the bars have been melted.

Regulated

The Jack Klauson coins were, to the best of my knowledge, the 1861 Clark Gruber $20s that I identified repeating depressions on. I've never been certain that these were made by Klauson - just that they originated with him (his claim was that they were all bought at once from an elderly man in Denver; however, since Klauson's death, others have shown up). I am not sure what became of many of these once they were bought back by the services, although there were a couple of the overstruck pieces that ended up reholdered as "Fantasy" coins.

The Ford/Franklin pieces still turn up with some frequency - some are collected by people who understand what they are - we (Kagin's) have a group of them that we use for research purposes. It is important to note that there isn't a definitive list of Ford/Franklin pieces, and that I've discovered coins as recently as last year (A group of Miner's Bank $10s) that have repeating depressions, as well as other Franklin/Ford tells.

CaptHenway

Sure wish there was an inventory of the 700+ ounces of bars that the Stacks melted from the Ford Estate rather than put them in the sales.

Coinosaurus

<< <i>Sure wish there was an inventory of the 700+ ounces of bars that the Stacks melted from the Ford Estate rather than put them in the sales. >>



This document must exist, somewhere. I can't imagine melting that much gold and not making a list.

CaptHenway

<< <i>

<< <i>Sure wish there was an inventory of the 700+ ounces of bars that the Stacks melted from the Ford Estate rather than put them in the sales. >>



This document must exist, somewhere. I can't imagine melting that much gold and not making a list. >>



The deed was done in secret. I only heard about it because a friend happened to be in the refinery the day the lot came in.

I then asked a friend at Stack's about it, and when he asked around he was told "Nobody was supposed to know about that!"

So I doubt that a list exists.

Regulated

The scary part about that story is that there very well may have been genuine bars in there - I've certainly seen otherwise intelligent people damn genuine ingots that Ford happened to be involved with...

CaptHenway

<< <i>The scary part about that story is that there very well may have been genuine bars in there - I've certainly seen otherwise intelligent people damn genuine ingots that Ford happened to be involved with... >>



Well, as the Stack's had a fiduciary obligation to Ford and his Estate I am sure that they were very careful in what they burned.

But if they do have a list, with pictures, it would make for a very interesting article in a learned numismatic journal.

(Hint, hint)

Coinosaurus

<< <i>
Well, as the Stack's had a fiduciary obligation to Ford and his Estate I am sure that they were very careful in what they burned.
>>



A really awkward position to be in. Do you market the fakes as "ex. Ford, authenticity not guaranteed," or do you melt them? Seems to me the fakes would have had some premium value over melt. On the other hand, you have forever protected collectors from being deceived by these particular pieces.

firstmint

There is a "Franklin Hoard" gold, Knight & Co bar, #1791, coming up in the Stack's ANA sale next month, lot 10306.

It will interesting to see what it brings in comparison to the spot price of gold, especially, since we don't know if it a pure gold bar or not.

After a lengthy write up from a prior lot description, it is now being sold as a fantasy bar.

Dennis88

There's a few here

Weiss

Fascinating stuff, guys. Think this article is relevant.