1868 Complete 16-Piece Aluminum Pattern Proof Set, Cent Through Double Eagle !

Very rarely do you get to see something like this !
I will be watching this sell for sure -An amazing set of coins, I wish I could place a bid .




Experimental 1868 Aluminum Proof Set
Cent Through Double Eagle, 16 Pieces
Finest of Only Three Sets Known, Ex: Garrett
1868 Complete 16-Piece Aluminum Pattern Proof Set, Cent Through Double Eagle, PR63-PR67 Cameo NGC. R.8 as a Set. This lot includes a complete 16-piece experimental proof set, illustrating all the denominations minted in 1868, struck in aluminum from regular dies. Also included is the original velvet-lined morocco presentation case that housed the coins when they were produced at the Philadelphia Mint.

http://coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1181&lotNo=6006

Take a moment to marvel at these pieces.

 

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Fabulous.

 

Very Cool!

 

That's pretty incredible! Thanks for the news and the photo.
-L

 

Awesome set! Thanks for sharing with us.

 

I'll finance that by returning every single gift I ever received for Christmas or will receive...lol

 

That's really interesting.

On a side note, HA is getting almost $20,000 buyers premium. The owners of these auction houses must feed their dogs sirloin.

 

I wonder how they kept this set from oxidizing over all these years?

 

Gotta help 'em keep the lights on. Still, a ponderous sum for folks like you and me.......

 

Those are absolutely amazing..I wonder where the price will fall eventually... Thanks for sharing!!
I would love owning them even with the "curse".

Hope the winner isn't overly superstitious though..

Quote from the description on Heritage..

" The 1868 aluminum proof sets have a fascinating but checkered history. In a scenario reminiscent of the curse of the legendary Hope Diamond, grave misfortune befell many of the owners of these coins, including bankruptcy, public disgrace, and early death. At one point in 1887, the U.S. government declared the coins illegal to own, and confiscated and destroyed one of the sets. Thankfully, the government has softened its position on pattern ownership in recent times, and the sets now sell readily, with no official interference. A roster of known 1868 aluminum proof sets is included below."

:stormy::stormy:

 

:thumb:
Nice set

 

WOW.

That's an amazing set, and it's very cool to realize that this metal was more precious than gold -- more expensive, and certainly far rarer -- at the time these patterns were minted.

To address doug444's question, aluminum is an extremely reactive metal, and it oxidizes almost instantly on exposure to air. But the oxide coating that forms is transparent, hard, and unreactive, and protects the metal's appearance. That's why aluminum foil retains its shine for so long. As long as you don't expose the surface to acids, alkalis, or certain corrosive salts, it should retain luster for a very long time.

 

Actually the value at the time was more on par with that of silver.

 

I did some searching, and while the 1868 price of aluminum wasn't quite as high as gold, it would appear to have been much higher than silver at that time.

Gold
1868 18.93


Silver
1868 1.747


Aluminum (price NA for in between years)
1850 17.00
1868 ? (I assume between 17.00 & 9.00)
1872 9.00
1887 8.00
1888-1894 NA, but price was really dropping)
1895 0.587
1896 0.507
1897 0.390


Sources (Gold, Aluminum, Silver)
http://www.nma.org/pdf/gold/his_gold_prices.pdf
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/aluminum/050798.pdf
http://www.kitco.com/scripts/hist_charts/yearly_graphs.plx

 

A beautiful set. Just how many were made?

OK. I checked the HA auction. 3 known sets!

 

I chose the wrong line of work. I wish someone would've slapped me upside the head in elementary school and got my head in the game.

 

Probably 4 - the 3 Heritage knows of and the one that was destroyed.

Supposedly two were originally made, one for presentation to the British Mint and one for the French; and then another 2 for unspecified purposes.

 

Holy smokes! That is one cool set.