‘Fake’ Coin Turns Out To Be Real, Extremely Rare And Worth Millions
- 6 years ago
A gold coin dismissed as a fake by a number of dealers has been declared the real deal and worth millions.
A gold coin dismissed as a fake by a number of dealers has been declared the real deal and worth millions. It is a $5 piece made in 1854 by the San Francisco Mint. Records show only 268 of the roughly quarter-sized coins, often referred to as Half Eagles, were produced. Prior to this discovery, only three were known to still exist. The authentication process was conducted by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, and it reportedly wasn't an easy one. Part of the process involved using documents related to the one housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Numismatic Collection. It was also necessary to ensure it wasn't the Half Eagle taken by robbers who, in 1967, raided the Florida home of Willis H. Du Pont, and left with the rare $5 coin and thousands of other valuable pieces. According to Gizmodo, that coin was confirmed still missing. The owner of the newly authenticated coin wishes to remain anonymous and where or how he acquired it has not been revealed to the public.
A gold coin dismissed as a fake by a number of dealers has been declared the real deal and worth millions. It is a $5 piece made in 1854 by the San Francisco Mint. Records show only 268 of the roughly quarter-sized coins, often referred to as Half Eagles, were produced. Prior to this discovery, only three were known to still exist. The authentication process was conducted by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, and it reportedly wasn't an easy one. Part of the process involved using documents related to the one housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Numismatic Collection. It was also necessary to ensure it wasn't the Half Eagle taken by robbers who, in 1967, raided the Florida home of Willis H. Du Pont, and left with the rare $5 coin and thousands of other valuable pieces. According to Gizmodo, that coin was confirmed still missing. The owner of the newly authenticated coin wishes to remain anonymous and where or how he acquired it has not been revealed to the public.