$10 Million Orlando Exhibit of USA's First Gold Coins Four of the historic first gold coins made in the young United States will be displayed together for the first time ever in a $10 million exhibition in Orlando, Florida, January 5 - 7, 2006.
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - (Orlando, Florida) -- An unprecedented, $10 million public exhibit of the very first United States gold coins made more than two centuries ago will be displayed in Orlando, Florida for the first time anywhere, Thursday to Saturday, January 5 - 7, 2006. Three of the four coins in the exhibit are legendary "Brasher Doubloons," made in the 1780s by George Washington's New York City neighbor, Ephraim Brasher.
"The Brasher Doubloons are among the most important coins in American history. They were the first gold coins made in the young United States," said Christopher Cipoletti, Executive Director of the 33,000-member American Numismatic Association who will attend the exhibit’s opening.
This will be the first time these historic, half-dollar size gold pieces have ever been shown together. The coins will be displayed during the Florida United Numismatists Convention in Hall NB in the North Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
The extraordinary gold coins are owned jointly or individually by Steven L. Contursi, President of Rare Coin Wholesalers of Dana Point, California, and dealer and numismatic researcher, Dr. Donald Kagin of Tiburon, California.
"We believe these are national treasures and should be displayed for collectors and the general public to see. So, we have prepared an educational exhibit to showcase the first gold coins struck in the United States," said Contursi.
"These are the most important coins in United States history. They are the first American gold coins and this is the first time they have ever been displayed together as a complete set," said Kagin.
The display features three legendary "Brasher Doubloons" made by New York City silversmith, Ephraim Brasher. The fabled Brasher Doubloon was the subject of a 1942 Raymond Chandler novel, "The High Window," featuring Chandler's famous fictional detective, Philip Marlow. A subsequent 1947 movie, "The Brasher Doubloon," was based on that detective story about the legendary coin.
The fourth early American gold coin in the exhibit was produced by Baltimore silversmith, Standish Barry. Researchers did not know it exited until it was discovered in a Baltimore bank vault a year ago.
All four coins in the display were hand-struck between the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 and 1795 when the United States Mint began producing gold coins for circulation.
