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Message:: [QUOTE="Coin Chick, post: 2534, member: 28"]American Numismatic Association FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 11, 2003CONTACT: Stephen Bobbitt Telephone: 719-632-2646 ext. 113 E-mail: <a href="mailto:pr@money.org">pr@money.org</a>                          NGC Confirms Authentication of                         Recovered 1913 Liberty Nickel            "This coin would likely grade Proof-62" - Rick Montgomery      Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the official grading serviceof the American Numismatic Association (ANA), has confirmed theauthenticity of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was rediscovered at theANA convention in Baltimore this summer after being out of sight for morethan 40 years.     For the first time since 1920, all five of the 1913 Liberty Headnickels were displayed at the ANA World's Fair of MoneyR in Baltimore,July 30-August 3. This re-discovered specimen disappeared after a 1962auto accident that took the life of its owner, George O. Walton. Thoughtto be an altered date, the coin remained closeted until it was examinedat the show in Baltimore and declared authentic. It now is on loan to theANA Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.    "A coin of this magnitude doesn't come along very often," says ANAExecutive Director Christopher Cipoletti. "As the Association's officialgrading service, NGC was asked to inspect it and verify the legitimacy ofthis great numismatic rarity. We were fortunate to have Rick Montgomery,one of the most recognized numismatic authenticators, review thisspecimen."     After examining the rare nickel and comparing it to the specimen inthe ANA Money Museum's collection, Montgomery, NGC vice president andgrading finalizer, says, "I have had the opportunity to analyze otherexamples of this rarity, and there is no question in my mind that thispiece is genuine. If I were to grade it as part of the NGC grading team,I would say this coin would likely grade Proof-62."     Montgomery says he "loves the story" of the Walton 1913 Libertynickel. "It has a better story line than a Sherlock Holmes mystery."     Five 1913 Liberty Head nickels were produced 90 years ago undermysterious circumstances when the United States Mint was changing fromthe Liberty Head to the Buffalo design. The five coins remained as a setuntil the 1940s, when they were separated and sold. One of them now is apermanent part of the ANA Museum cabinet, another is part of theSmithsonian Institution's collection and the other three rare nickels arein private hands.     Walton acquired his rare nickel in 1946 and showed it for 16 yearsbefore he died on his way to a coin show. His vast collection was sold atauction in 1963 for nearly $873,00, but his heirs were told the famousnickel was one of many altered-date coins produced over the years andthus worthless.     Walton's relatives, who wish to remain anonymous, kept the piececloseted for four decades. As part of producing the exhibit for the ANABaltimore convention, Walton family members began corresponding with ANACurator Lawrence Lee, who arranged for them to bring what was thought tobe their altered-date specimen to the show for inclusion in an exhibit ofthe other four specimens. Lee believed the coin, even if an altered date,would draw attention to the display since it belonged to the last ownerof the genuine specimen. Before placing the nickel in the display case,and after a thorough examination and comparison with the other rarenickels, the Walton piece was declared genuine.    "I appreciate the honor personally and on behalf of NGC to examinethis rarity," Montgomery says. "Although I didn't know where it would bediscovered, I always knew that, because of its history, the coin would befound." See images on ANA web site:<a href="http://www.money.org/press/20030911-walton.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.money.org/press/20030911-walton.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.money.org/press/20030911-walton.html</a>[/QUOTE]

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