Holding Historic Coins In My Hands

Last week at the ANA Summer Seminar Session II YN Auction I bought one of four spots for a private viewing of some of the ANA Museum's Rarieties. The viewing was held Thursday afternoon after classes were finished. I wish I had been feeling better for this extremely rare opportunity but I was in the middle of a nasty summer cold. Oh, well.

Doug Mudd, ANA Museum Curator, pulled some of the rarieties from the museum displays where I have seen them many, many times. Other rarieties came from the Museum vaults and are rarely seen by the public. He also put together a nice folder with a prints of each rariety we were to see.

The four lucky viewers met in a conference room at ANA Headquarters along with Doug Mudd, Ken Bressett (editor of the Red Book and author of numerous coin books) and Wendell Wolka (ANA Governor, Coin World contributor and expert on currency and early bank notes). And an armed guard. Plus a photographer. Did I mention the armed guard?

What we were treated to was well worth the price of admission. Doug Mudd and Ken Bressett gave us the history of the coins along with some interesting sidebars while Wendell Wolka handled the currency.

Below are the rarieties that we got to hold and examine:

• 1794 Silver Dollar - believed to be the first silver dollar coin struck by the US Mint
• 1804 Silver Dollar - Type III
• 1913 "V" Nickel - thought lost for over 40 years and rediscovered by the Walton family a few years ago
• 1933 Eagle - a rare but legal 1933 US gold coin
• 1663 Petition Crown - the "King of English coins" on par with the US 1804 Silver Dollar
• 405-380 BC Dekadrachm from Syracuse - a huge ancient coin with tremendously high relief and amazing detail
• 1878 $5 National Currency from Deadwood, Dakota Territory
• 1875 $100 National Gold Bank Note from San Francisco
• 1890 $100 US Treasury Note - aka The Watermelon Note
• 1934 $10,000 Federal Reserve Note
• Uncut Sheet (4) 1896 $1 Silver Certificate - George & Martha Washington on Reverse

What an honor to hold and examine these incredibly rare and historic coins. And currency. If anyone is interested I'll share my thoughts on each of them.

If I can get some of the pics taken by the ANA photographer I'll post them here.

 

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I think that is amazing! I would love to see the pics that were taken. Why though would they keep the coins in the vault in the museum and not display them? I know all of them do that I just do not see what purpose hiding them in a vault serves. CONGRATS though!

 

welcome Mustang !!

Wow Bruce, what a cool thing to do. I saw the 1913 they show at the ANA coin shows a cpl times, but an 1804 Dollar? that and the others would be quite a sight, along with the company you kept......

 

All I can say is WOW, how cool is that! Would have liked to have been in your shoes.

 

Hobo:
Did they give you copies of the pictures?

And you mention: "I bought one of four spots."

You had to pay?

 

Yeah, we got 8 1/2 X 11 printouts of the coin and currency photos. They're not the best but not bad at all. I may frame mine some day.

Of course I had to pay. The four spots were auctioned off at the YN Auction. The money goes to help pay for a acholorships for a YN to next year's Summer Seminar. Doug Mudd donated his time and energy to put on the viewing for four people and they auctioned off the four spots. You gotta pay to play. And the money goes to a good cause.

 

Awesome!

 

Good for you. win/win situation all around. Thanx for sharing.

 

Is there a way one can see these coins on the web?

Take Care
Ben

 

Wow Hobo , what a experience , great coins and a great cause , my hats off to you .
rzage

 

Ben,

Not that I am aware of. But let me look into it. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

Sounds like a great experience. Please post a pic if you have one. John

 

I've got to say thats awesome.

 

Awesome, not many people get to see let alone hold these coins. Millions of dollars worth.

 

You can view some of them by hunting around here:

ANA Money Museum Website

 

I had searched this and the Virtual Museum before asking the question.

Take Care
Ben

 

A day or two ago I got the pics taken by the ANA photographer.

The first pic is a group photo. From left to right (seated): Doug Mudd (ANA Museum Curator), Wendell Wolka (ANA Governor and Obsolete Bank Note Expert), Ken Bressett ((Editor of the Red Book & all around numismatic legend). Standing: the paying participants. I am the one wearing a cap. I don't know the names of the other participants.

 

Here I am holding the George Walton 1913 Liberty Nickel.

 

In this photo I am holding an 1804 Silver Dollar with Ken Bressett beside me.

 

Oh wow, I'd be nervous as heck about dropping that sucker! My palms would be sweaty