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Biggest coins deals of all time
EagleEye
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What are the biggest deals in numismatic history? If you can detail some of the specifics, please do so.
I was reading the new Newman book and it was awesome to read about the multiples of great coins that came of the Green estate to Burdette Johnson and Eric Newman in 1941-1944.
Also the Ford acquisition of the Boyd estate (at below 1930's era appraisal values). this was briefly discussed in the book.
Other big deals: Humbert collection of Territorial gold. Continental Illinois hoard; S.S. Central America deal; GSA hoard; Redfield hoard, etc..
Anyone want to chime in and tell about some of these or other deals?
I was reading the new Newman book and it was awesome to read about the multiples of great coins that came of the Green estate to Burdette Johnson and Eric Newman in 1941-1944.
Also the Ford acquisition of the Boyd estate (at below 1930's era appraisal values). this was briefly discussed in the book.
Other big deals: Humbert collection of Territorial gold. Continental Illinois hoard; S.S. Central America deal; GSA hoard; Redfield hoard, etc..
Anyone want to chime in and tell about some of these or other deals?
Rick Snow, Eagle Eye Rare Coins, Inc.Check out my new web site:
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The two largest I know of are the Simpson Anderson pattern collection brokered by Legend at $38M and the Legend Seated dollar collection sale at $11M
Did Simpson buy or sell this collection for $38mm?
First the 1933 Double Eagle, $7 million +
Second and even more fantastic, the 1794 Silver Dollar, $10 million.
One coin each but what collections are built around.
Congrats to TDN for the 1794 dollar!!!
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.american-legacy-coins.com
I would have enjoyed being a fly on the wall in the room where Bob Simpson forked over $38 Meeelyun Doallars for those Pattern coins.
38mil was pocket change then when natural gas was 6 to 11 per thousand cubic feet
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
Those were the days....
"In fact, no single Bactrian coin has ever caused such a stir as his great gold masterpiece. This massive 20-stater coin is of the standard Eucratides type, with portrait of the king on the obverse wearing a commander's cloak, a royal diadem and a great plumed helmet decorated with the ears and horns of a bull. The reverse offers the king's usual type, two mounted horsemen—the heavenly twins, the Dioscuri of Greek legend—charging to the right. Eucratides's usual titles appear on the coin as well. It is not the style, exceptionally fine though it is, which makes this, in the words of one expert, "the rarest coin in the world"; it is the extraordinary size. At 63 millimeters in diameter (2½ inches) and more than 169 grams (six ounces) of Bactrian gold, it is the largest such coin ever minted in the ancient world, apparently to celebrate the king's conquest of Demetrius of India. There is only one specimen known in the world today—but that such a huge coin could escape the melting pot at all is amazing luck for us.
The unusual story of this coin's discovery can be tracked down through various newspaper accounts from over a century ago. In June of 1867, a French numismatist associated with the British Museum was dining with a group of collectors in London. One of the guests told about a strange encounter he had had that day with a shabby beggar trying to sell an ancient coin. He described a gold piece so large that all at the table agreed it must be a forgery. Yet, as the conversation drifted to other numismatic topics, the French expert could not get the gold coin out of his mind. Finally, in what he called "a fit of numismatic fever," he excused himself and set out to follow the trail of the beggar. When the two finally met late one night in a ramshackle London flat, the expert demanded to see the coin at once. The beggar explained that he had come all the way from Bukhara, where he and six others had found the coin. In a matter of minutes, he said, daggers were drawn and five of the men were dead. The two survivors agreed to smuggle the prize to Europe and share whatever price it brought. Then, his story told, the mysterious fellow took off his old coat, his shirt and his undershirt; he lifted his arm and pulled from his armpit a filthy, sweaty leather case with the gold coin sewn inside.
With an "electric shock," the numismatist held the coin and convinced himself that it was no forgery—but he knew that he must conceal his enthusiasm as he bargained down the price. The traveler from Bukhara insisted upon £5000 for the giant coin; the expert handed it back and wrote a check ... for £1000, adding coolly that this was his offer for the next 20 minutes. After that, he said, "I'll give you only £800, and so on until I get to £500. If you don't close the deal tonight, tomorrow I will not take the coin at any price."
They stared at each other for more than 19 minutes. Then the beggar snatched the check for £1000, and handed over the coin.' "This," reported the numismatist to the new papers, "is the rarest coin in the world, and the one for which the highest price has been paid. Since it cost the lives of five men, I do not think anything more was paid for it than it was really worth. It ought to have been saved for the delectation of numismatic amateurs in all times to come, even had fifty or one hundred lives been sacrificed."
Is this story apocryphal? Probably. Can you imagine a thief and murderer taking a personal check?? But it's still a good story.
That sounds like the greatest rip of all time....
You call it a "rip" -- I call it criminal.
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My sets: [290+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
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Sounds to me like the lawyer had a side interest in Mr. Ford buying this collection.
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
Eiasberg buying the Clapp collection for $100K was pretty big too.
That sounds like the greatest rip of all time....
You call it a "rip" -- I call it criminal.
Well 'criminal' is what I was thinking, assuming this story is true, but didn't want to get jumped by everyone who personally knew JJ Ford, what a great guy he was, all he did for the hobby, etc.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
If you ever read the book John J Ford and the Franklin Hoard you will worry a lot less about people springing to Mr. Ford's defense. Incidentally, the book, while expensive, is long and is an excellent read.
bob
William Woodin trading the $50 gold patterns back to the US Mint for a chest full of "misc" patterns has to rank near the top. That trade included J-1776, the Amazonian gold pattern set and hundreds of other patterns.
Eiasberg buying the Clapp collection for $100K was pretty big too.
I would agree on the Woodin trade.
I'm a little surprised nobody has brought up the Eliasberg purchase of the Clapp collection, which was such a key component of his assembly of the only complete set of US coins.
Sean Reynolds
Somebody did mention it 2 posts earlier than yours.
In the bigger picture Clapp was only a part of the Eliasberg collection. I don't know the exact percentage or value added by that purchase. But, David Tripp states that it was approx 25% of his total purchases up to 1950.
Eliasberg
Virgil Brand supposedly spent 8X what Eliasberg did and that was decades earlier when coins were even cheaper. 368,000 coins total. The link above suggests it would fetch over a $BILL today.
President of David Lawrence Rare Coins www.davidlawrence.com
email: John@davidlawrence.com
2022 ANA Dealer of the Year, Past Chair of NCBA (formerly ICTA), PNG Treasurer, Instructor at Witter Coin University, former Instructor/YN Chaperone ANA Summer Seminar, Coin World Most Influential, Curator of the D.L. Hansen Collection
Virgil Brand supposedly spent 8X what Eliasberg did and that was decades earlier when coins were even cheaper. 368,000 coins total. The link above suggests it would fetch over a $BILL today.
Virgil Brand's collection was valued at $5 million in 1926 when he died.
That's why when his brother Horace inherited it and went though a divorce in the 1940's his soon to be ex wife fought hard to receive 1/5 of the collection.
Latin American Collection