Bechtler, Charlotte, SURPRISE...

I drover over to Chapel Hill this morning to attend a talk at the Wilson Library, but when I got there, I found that the talk had been canceled. I was already on the hook for an hour of parking, so I decided to wander around the library -- which was fine, until I tried to find my way out. (Plenty of EXIT signs, but all leading to doors with alarms!)

As I went by one side hall, I happened to glimpse a couple of displays with suspicious arrays of round items. Here's what I found:





...just hanging out there in the library, albeit within an open safe and behind glass. "Surprised" doesn't begin to describe how I felt. (The talk I was planning to attend had nothing to do with numismatics or any other kind of collecting, so my mind wasn't exactly on the hobby.)

Unfortunately, I didn't have the real camera along, so I don't have great shots. I may go back someday to take some detailed pictures -- maybe when the quarter-eagle exhibit comes back in October.

Anyway, here's a link to the six shots I did take today. Zoom in on the wide shots and you can read some of the text with the exhibits. There's also a shot of an eight-reales that didn't come out at all, and a shot of a stock certificate that didn't turn out so well either. If I go back with a better camera, I'll add shots to the album and update this thread, but it probably won't be soon.

 

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I would actually go to the library if they were all like that.

I am assuming that is the University's collection or did it mention if it was on loan from someone?

 

Wow! Cool surprise! Sounds like they have a pretty impressive collection of this stuff ("The Gallery oversees a collection of over 9000 coins, paper money, bonds, ...). Thanks for posting.

Did you find your way out of the library before needing to pay for a second hour of parking?

 

Google:Wilson Library Charlotte Mint gold coin collection. Ain't the Internet wonderful!

 

What a great way to spend an hour!

 

Or a night with some safe-cracking tools. ONLY KIDDING. Actually, I hope that display is in a "high-traffic" area and not lost somewhere back where you may have stumbled across it

 

As it turned out, this display was maybe a hundred feet from the main entrance, but pretty secluded.

The library's site does emphasize that they have continuous video surveillance throughout the building. This building hosts a number of rare book and archive collections. I'm sure the folks running it figure that if they have enough security to protect irreplaceable, unique manuscripts, a bunch of old coins should be just fine.

Herman Bernard donated the Bechtler collection to UNC in 1979. The card with the Charlotte half-eagle collection says only that it's "on loan", nothing about from whom or for how long. Maybe I should head back with the big camera sooner rather than later... but shooting through thick glass and plastic in dim light, I'm not sure the results would be worth the effort.

 

I would love to be able to go and spend the day with someones collection who can afford to load that out. I look forward to seeing if you can get better pics in the future. Definitely a very nice surprise in the library

 

When I first started attending the University of KY and went to the library, I was surprised that there was a guard at the entrance who would check your books and cases before you left (naive wasn't I). In talking to hin, he mentioned SO many students who would drop their school bags and run and he would find library books that they hadn't checked out.

 

Thanks for post and the pics, JeffB. That would definitely be a very interesting collection to check out... particularly the Bechtler pieces. The Charlotte Mint Museum also has a complete Charlotte mint collection on display. Here are my '60-C & '61-C in honor of that very important contributor to our nation's gold coinage.






'dude

 

Nice pieces. As a resident, I aspire to add at least one Charlotte coin to my collection someday -- but probably not soon, and certainly not of such high grade as yours!

 

Hike the ISO up big time.........

 

I think it's great to stumble onto something like that. Quite a set of Bechtler's and C mint gold!

 

Bechther's coins

 

Well-spotted! Guess that takes some of the pressure off for me to go back with the big camera.

I'll bet all the exhibits are available as online images in one form or another. If I get a chance, I'll nose around some more.

 

Oh no we need better pictures

 

I can take good pictures, but not through multiple layers of glass and plastic. I'd need some help convincing the museum personnel to give me physical access.

 

Just tell them your from the internet and people want better pictures, I'm sure that will work favorably

 

And that they really ought to let me take them home to use the good lighting equipment...