Hoping somene will admit to having one of the two missing ones? (That's right the one in the Smithsonian is NOT unique. There were two struck in gold and one in gilt copper. The second gold piece and the copper ones have not been seen since they were last auctioned in the 1880's.)
Are you trying to smoke out the 1849 double eagle that was sold in the 1890s and has not been seen since?
We are not 100% sure that the one in the Smithsonian is unique. Of course now that the powers at be at that lovely institution have chosen to lock the national coin collection away from public view, they have become the poster child for the situation where a museum is the WORST place for rare coins and other treasures.
Now that the Smithsonian has decided to hide the coins in vaults where no one but the privileged can see them, I think that the time has come to auction off the national collection. At least in private owners’ hands the coins might be more likely to be seen.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
Bill, I remember seeing photos of the original "National Mint Cabinet" as it was housed in the Smithsonian in the late 1800's. The room was a large domed rotunda, with magnificent display cases. The more recent incarnation that was closed to the public was a shabby and pathetic display, a far cry from the original intent of the collection. I am in complete agreement that the bulk of the collection should be sold off. Ditto for the remarkable duplicates at ANS ....
<< <i>a museum is the WORST place for rare coins and other treasures >>
No. It's the BEST place. ESPECIALLY if they hide it. Just like Fort Knox. They can SAY they have 8000 metric tonnes of gold but they don't gotta PROVE it.
The Smithsonian has just taken "registry" to it's logical conclusion. A list of unbelievably rare and desirable coins that they don't gotta show NOBODY. It's da American way.
And thinka how SAFE it is now. Must warm da coockles of whatever Homeland Security uses fer a heart.
In the early 70's you could see the National collection in its totality. All in cases covered in glass. So I can say that I have seen the finest in the U.S. has to offer. Went several times to see it.
<< <i>In the early 70's you could see the National collection in its totality. All in cases covered in glass. So I can say that I have seen the finest in the U.S. has to offer. >>
Not hardly. The National collection numbers over one and a half million pieces and they have never had more than a tiny fraction of it on display. If you put each piece in a 2X2 and filled a typical bourse showcase with them (I'm sure the Smithsonian display wasn't that crowded.) it would take over 6,250 display cases and cover an area 175 ft by 250 ft (with no room between cases). Just about an entire football field.
What you saw were selected pieces and a good portion of the 5,000+ piece Lilly collection. Around 7,000 pieces at best.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
+1 If memory serves me right the $20 Mormon gold piece struck in 1849 just a block from Salt Lake City's Temple Square under the supervision/direction of Brigham Young was the first twenty dollar gold piece minted from the newly found California gold. Now that posted specimen, however, looks more like a pattern from some other metal than gold. Here is a photo I took of a display of Mormon Gold at the Mormon Church's Historical Museum on the west side of Temple Square. The exhibit includes dies for the coins as well along with other items of numismatic interest. Note the $20 gold piece in the exhibit is gold colored evidencing that actual twenty dollar specimens were struck. That said they are ulta rare and few have been preserved.
Well at least the California gold for the 1850 Double Eagle had to have been mined in either 1848 or 1849 per the historical summary above regarding the Mormon gold pieces.
Comments
Here's mine ... well, it is mine !!!! After all, it "belongs to the American people" right ????
Best,
Sunnywood
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
<< <i>Here's mine ... well, it is mine !!!! After all, it "belongs to the American people" right ????
Best,
Sunnywood >>
Cleaned
<< <i>Post your pre-1850 double eagles >>
Particularly the older ones!
“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Mark Twain
Newmismatist
1849 Mormon gold $20
<< <i>Candidate for shortest thread.
>>
Are you trying to smoke out the 1849 double eagle that was sold in the 1890s and has not been seen since?
We are not 100% sure that the one in the Smithsonian is unique. Of course now that the powers at be at that lovely institution have chosen to lock the national coin collection away from public view, they have become the poster child for the situation where a museum is the WORST place for rare coins and other treasures.
Now that the Smithsonian has decided to hide the coins in vaults where no one but the privileged can see them, I think that the time has come to auction off the national collection. At least in private owners’ hands the coins might be more likely to be seen.
Best,
Sunnywood
P.S. RYK - Good one !!!
Sunnywood's Rainbow-Toned Morgans (Retired)
Sunnywood's Barber Quarters (Retired)
<< <i>a museum is the WORST place for rare coins and other treasures >>
No. It's the BEST place. ESPECIALLY if they hide it. Just like Fort Knox. They can SAY they have 8000 metric tonnes of gold but they don't gotta PROVE it.
The Smithsonian has just taken "registry" to it's logical conclusion. A list of unbelievably rare and desirable coins that they don't gotta show NOBODY.
It's da American way.
And thinka how SAFE it is now. Must warm da coockles of whatever Homeland Security uses fer a heart.
It's for our own GOOD.
hi, i'm tom.
i do not doctor coins like some who post in here.
“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Mark Twain
Newmismatist
1852 PCGS AU-58 $20 Liberty Double Eagle
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>In the early 70's you could see the National collection in its totality. All in cases covered in glass. So I can say that I have seen the finest in the U.S. has to offer. >>
Not hardly. The National collection numbers over one and a half million pieces and they have never had more than a tiny fraction of it on display. If you put each piece in a 2X2 and filled a typical bourse showcase with them (I'm sure the Smithsonian display wasn't that crowded.) it would take over 6,250 display cases and cover an area 175 ft by 250 ft (with no room between cases). Just about an entire football field.
What you saw were selected pieces and a good portion of the 5,000+ piece Lilly collection. Around 7,000 pieces at best.
<< <i>This is as close as I could come...
1852 PCGS AU-58 $20 Liberty Double Eagle
>>
OK, I can get two years closer if that helps. As a candidate for "First Strike" maybe my 1850 Double Eagle was possibly minted in 1849?
"Unique" 1850 Double Eagle
<< <i>This is the best that I could come up with:
1849 Mormon gold $20
>>
Bingo!
<< <i>
<< <i>This is the best that I could come up with:
1849 Mormon gold $20
>>
Bingo! >>
+1 If memory serves me right the $20 Mormon gold piece struck in 1849 just a block from Salt Lake City's Temple Square under the supervision/direction of Brigham Young was the first twenty dollar gold piece minted from the newly found California gold. Now that posted specimen, however, looks more like a pattern from some other metal than gold. Here is a photo I took of a display of Mormon Gold at the Mormon Church's Historical Museum on the west side of Temple Square. The exhibit includes dies for the coins as well along with other items of numismatic interest. Note the $20 gold piece in the exhibit is gold colored evidencing that actual twenty dollar specimens were struck. That said they are ulta rare and few have been preserved.
<<<-----------
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=796393
<< <i>
<< <i>This is as close as I could come...
1852 PCGS AU-58 $20 Liberty Double Eagle
>>
OK, I can get two years closer if that helps. As a candidate for "First Strike" maybe my 1850 Double Eagle was possibly minted in 1849?
"Unique" 1850 Double Eagle >>
Well at least the California gold for the 1850 Double Eagle had to have been mined in either 1848 or 1849 per the historical summary above regarding the Mormon gold pieces.