When someone builds a great collection, we hear about it...usually. What I am getting at, what are the chances that someone has an mega rarity collection but never told anyone,has always remained anonymous in auctions and always stayed out of the light and may pass without anyone knowing they made a U.S complete set like Eliasburg? Does someone have a unreported 33" Double that no one knew exist? Thoughts?
I’m 100% sure that there is someone in the world with a fantastic and rare collection that has never been publicized before. Heck, there are probably a few members of this forum with fantastic (and private) collections. However, a complete collection like Eliasberg, is stretching it a bit. I guess there could be an reported 1933 Double Eagle out there somewhere...
I heard there was a guy who just got a pcgs award for beating eliasburg According to the set registry, Eliasburg is #4 https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/complete-u-s-type-set-1792-1964/144
Yes there are some very private collectors with exquisite tastes floating about, including on the forums. There are also companies that buy things like fine art, antiques and rare coins to hold as investments, which the collector world is unlikely to know about either.
Jack Black is into coins and has deep pockets. Could be him. Or, it could just be some ol' single collector who didn't spend lavishly on frivolous items and poured his/her money into building that set. Heck, it could even be some university that has their endowment fund invested in this.
I suspect that there are some super collectors whose work is deliberately flown below radar as a security measure for themselves and their families.
I think the coin that would really take the cake is an “Unknown, Unknown”. A coin that we do not know exists, and we do not know if anyone owns it. Something like a 1964-D Peace Dollar would be a “Known, Unknown” because we know it exists, but we don’t know if anyone owns one. An “Unknown, Unknown” would be something like a 1946 20 cent piece.