The biggest, baddest, gold coin that ever circulated?

Oh, I find that a little hard to believe. Surely it's just that you aren't willing to sell off enough of your current collection to fund it?

(I did try to look up auction prices for such a coin, but came up completely dry.)

 

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Heresay is that a Gulf States Prince bought both coins via private sale. Must be nice.....to have that can of $$$$.

 

These circulated freely in California in the 1850's -- 2.5oz each.

 

Way nicer then a $50 Dollar Bill!

The US Congress proposed minting $50 (Half Unions) and $100 (Union) gold coins. Imagine a 5 oz. (175g. gold coin in your hand....
They made a replica to exact specs in 2010/ beautifull coin.

 

It's been surpassed at least twice.

https://www.govmint.com/coin-authority/post/the-two-largest-gold-coins-ever-minted-

 

WOW!

However, they both are God ugly. I wouldn't shed a tear for the Canadian one that got melted down.

 

I wouldnt kick either of them out of bed lol

 

Are those "coins" that were actually "struck"? Taking the original topic way to the extreme, how about the reputed largest solid gold object, the Golden Buddha (Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon) at Wat Traimit in Bangkok, 5.5 tonnes. I put the current value around $330 million. Not intended for circulation.

 

Yup! I love those $50 slugs! The only reason I didn’t mention them is because “technically” they didn’t fit the definition as the US Mint did not strike them and it was more of a privately struck thing.

 

Is that solid gold or gilding?

If it isn’t gilded I wonder what the purity is. Like if it’s crown gold or .999 fine or what?

What I find really interesting about this is that it’s very similar to something the Athenians did. They made these gold statues of the gods as a way to store the wealth of the treasury and when they desperately needed money in a crisis they would chop bits off and melt them down for coinage.


If I recall correctly the one I read about was gold but I can’t imagine any reason why they wouldn’t do the same with silver. They could melt it down as well and mint tetradrachms.

 

I would argue the Japanese oban would be the largest gold coin that circulated at 5 ounce.

https://coinweek.com/world-coins/as...ins/a-world-of-gold-coins-japanese-gold-oban/

 

The octagonal one was struck by the US Assay Office for Gold in Mount Ophir California. If that is not "US Government" nothing is.

 

Really, who cares. The coins are listed in Friedberg/ it does not matter if they where struck by Usurpers/ by private mints/ Countries under occupation/ Rebels...

Had President Jefferson Davis (Confederate States of America) ordered the New Orleans/ Charlotte/ Dahlonega Mints to strike large $100 gold coins/ they would be totally legit, unlike the Calif. Territorial Issues. But the latter are still collectible and highly coveted.

 

It's "solid" gold.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Buddha_(statue)
"The body of the statue is 40% pure, the volume from the chin to the forehead is 80% pure, and the hair and the topknot, weighing 45 kg, are 99% pure gold."

It's a fascinating story. They covered it in stucco some time prior to 1767 to disguise it from invading Burmese, and then it sat anonymously for 200 years until they dropped it while attempting to move it and the plaster cracked. I've seen it in person probably 4-5 times (my photo above).

 

Was there not a large Buddha statue that was stashed away somewhere in the Philippines by the Japanese Imperial forces under General Yamashita?

 

There where rumours that two Imperial Roman AV 100 Aurei where recovered from Arras Hoard/ 1922. Never seen since....
A 100 Aurei from Constantius I would weigh 550-600g.
Story goes they where melted/ I doubt that/ nobody is that stupid.

 

A literally priceless coin, or 15-20 troy ounces of easily-sold gold? You or I wouldn't think of melting such a thing, but lots of people would.

 

It is US government but not US Mint which the technicality.

 

Dang that is crazy!!

I wonder if they had any temptations to sell some of that gold.

 

That makes me wonder how many cool coins the OG Emperors (Augustus to Severus Alexander) made that were simply melted down and lost to History.

I can easily imagine Augustus having unique coins minted for special VIP guests (such a foreign rulers & diplomats) as the rumor is he found coins interesting.

But sadly we might never know unless there is some documentation found in the future that mentions it due to being melted many centuries ago.

Just like the coin you mentioned. If we were discussing coins prior to 1922 we would both believe there was no such thing as a 100 aureii coin. Until it was found.