Josiah K. Lilly collection showcased at Smithsonian VIP Event

Zoins · December 1, 2019 11:25PM

Charles Morgan wrote that there was a Smithsonian VIP event to showcase the Josiah Lilly gold coin collection on November 13, 2019. Anyone here get to attend this?

The Lilly Collection of Gold Coins

Josiah K. Lilly was a wealthy collector and president of Eli Lilly and Company, the pharmaceutical giant that was the first company to mass-produce the polio vaccine. Active from 1950-1966, Lilly worked closely with the Stack family to assemble a major collection of gold coins, from ancient times to the modern day. Following his death, the Stack family worked on his estate’s behalf to arrange for the donation of 6,125 pieces to the Smithsonian Institution. To make the donation possible, the Indiana Congressional delegation introduced special legislation to authorize that the estate receive a $5,534,806 USD tax credit for the coins. The acquisition filled most of the National Numismatic Collection’s want list and visitors to the museum’s Value of Money exhibit, on display now, are treated to a small taste of the Lilly collection’s impressive holdings.

On the evening of Wednesday, November 13, the curatorial staff will present the entire collection of Lilly gold coins to VIPs in a private exhibition. I am honored that Dr. Feingold extended an invitation to me.

https://coinweek.com/auctions-news/smithsonian-event-and-stacks-bowers-auction/

Boosibri · December 2, 2019 3:50AM

Thanks for sharing. It is a shame that more of the collection is to open to the public but costs and space obviously play into the equation.

ricko · December 2, 2019 6:34AM

I would hope at least one of our forum members got to see this... and take some pictures. Anybody?? Cheers, RickO

BigMoose · December 2, 2019 7:10AM

I wonder if they displayed the many fake gold bars and prooflike U.S.A.O.G. twenties that were purchased through John J. Ford Jr.!!

Zoins · December 2, 2019 7:41AM

@Boosibri said:
Thanks for sharing. It is a shame that more of the collection is to open to the public but costs and space obviously play into the equation.

At least some of it is on display, "visitors to the museum’s Value of Money exhibit, on display now, are treated to a small taste of the Lilly collection’s impressive holdings."

Has anyone seen the "Value of Money" exhibit?

Exhibitions: The Value of Money: https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/value-money
Measuring Worth at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History: “The Value of Money” Exhibition to Showcase Numismatic Rarities: https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/The-Value-of-Money

Exbrit · December 2, 2019 8:13AM

@Zoins said:

@Boosibri said:
Thanks for sharing. It is a shame that more of the collection is to open to the public but costs and space obviously play into the equation.

At least some of it is on display, "visitors to the museum’s Value of Money exhibit, on display now, are treated to a small taste of the Lilly collection’s impressive holdings."

Has anyone seen the "Value of Money" exhibit?

Exhibitions: The Value of Money: https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/value-money

Measuring Worth at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History: “The Value of Money” Exhibition to Showcase Numismatic Rarities: https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/The-Value-of-Money

I have the book, so I must have been there. I just recently archived all of the photos. Nice exhibit, but the lighting should have been much better and they should have showed more.

Josiah K. Lilly collection showcased at Smithsonian VIP Event

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