What is The Golden Biscuit and Ice Cream?
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
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Ice cream???
Isn't it a frozen dairy dessert?
1894-S Dime.....Ice Cream Specimen
"Lawrence-9: Ice Cream Specimen. Good-4 with an old reverse scratch through 'ONE DIME' plus some other light circulation marks on the obverse. Graded VG by New Netherlands. Authenticated after 1980 Steve Ivy sale by ANACS to Numismatic Funding Corp. Even though this is referred to as the famous "Ice Cream Specimen" there's no way to be certain that this is indeed the piece Hallie Daggett spent. Robert Freidberg bought this coin over the counter for $2.40 (24 times face value) at Gimbels Department Store, NY, in 1957. Later: A. Kagin; New Netherlands (1951, lot 581); A. Kagin; Harmer Rooke (Nov. 1969); James G. Johnson; sold for $34,100 at 1980 Steve Ivy ANA Sale (lot 1804); sold for $27,500 by 1981 Bowers & Merena ANA sale (lot 2921); private collector. (Photo courtesy of Bowers & Merena.)"
"Lawrence-10: Romito-Montesano Specimen. AG-3. Supposedly certified by NGC but does not show up in the Census Report. Has a circular cut on the obverse. Owners include: Romito (1911); consigned by Montesano to Stack's in 1942, but withdrawn; sold by John Hipps to Laura Sperber in 1990 to private collector for about $35,000."
PCGS has certified three 1894-S Dimes: two in PRNM-64 and one in PRBM-66.
I knew about the 'Ice Cream' coin... Have never heard of the 'Golden Biscuit'..... Cheers, RickO
The Golden Biscuit is the Garret S-179 1798 Large cent, currently residing in a PCGS MS65+ Brown holder. It is tied for finest known in the Noyes census.
https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-6QPAL
"Ice cream 1894-S" should be replaced with "Bologna." The story has been shown to be a total fabrication, yet people keep repeating it. (See research by Kevin Flynn, and the Olivers.)
Also, there is a typo in the old CoinFacts provenance - the New Netherlands Coin Co. 51st sale was in June 1958, not 1951.
[Edit - thanks a lot - now I've got "Golden Biscuit" replaying in my head to the tune of "(I've Got A)Golden Ticket" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory]
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
I have heard of a "rubber biscuit" reference The Blues Brothers
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A recent PCGS article stated:
C. Douglas Smith once owned an 1816 Large Cent (Newcomb 1) that he called “The Golden Biscuit.”
pcgsblog.com/ron-guth/news/numismatic-nicknames?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter-pcgs-2017may16
The hobby is full of dry, nerdy, nearsighted collectors.
It is a great story that brightens our dingy corner of the universe.
The truth is much more interesting.
I dunno. Before I realized the tale was tall I relayed the ice cream story to a handful of friends and all enjoyed it. Got them a bit interested in the hobby. Explaining die cracks never did that.
Explaining the truth might have produced equal or better results.
When you go to a movie do you jump up and yell "Fake"?
1798 Draped Bust Cent. Sheldon-179. Rarity-3. Style II Hair. Mint State-65+ BN (PCGS).
"Doug was known for creating colorful nicknames and phrases and many of these can be found on his typed coin envelopes ... Certain gem cents looked like a 'golden biscuit fresh from the oven.'"
This is not about a film or fictional dramatic presentation. The subject is stating the truth for the purpose of informing others about historical events. The "ice cream" story is false. A lie. it also trivializes the people and events of the time, and denigrates the research done by dedicated, unpaid people to understand what actually happened.
Of course, that is only my approach to numismatic history. Others might differ.
But it is such a good story and many collectors would rather have a good story than the facts.
Yep. It is no doubt fun, and certainly tell it to others, but follow it up with the truth.
Thanks for the biscuit explanation... and @RogerB....I agree... the myths only clutter the hobby, I like the facts. Cheers, RickO
The Golden Ticket in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" was paid for with a Maria Theresa thaler silver coin.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
I have two tenuous connections to this pedigree chain. I worked with James G. Johnson for the last six months that he was at Coin World's Collectors Clearinghouse (I was the new kid in the department), and later I was with ANACS when we certified it.
TD