The Brasher doubloon, the first gold coin made for the United States over 200 years ago, continues to make the rounds.
Next up for the multi-million coin is the Money Show of the Southwest, Jan. 20-22, in Houston.
The occasion will mark the first public exhibit of the coin, insured for $6 million, in Houston.
It will be displayed on Friday, Jan. 20, and Saturday, Jan. 21, the first two days of the show, which takes place at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
?It?s one of the most important coins in American history,? said Carl Schwenker, show chairman.
The Brasher doubloon was purchased at an auction in early 2005 by Steven L. Contursi, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers of Dana Point, Calif. Educational exhibits of the rare coin have appeared in New York City, Kansas City, St. Louis, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.
The fabled coin was the subject of a 1942 Raymond Chandler novel, The High Window, and a subsequent 1947 movie, The Brasher Doubloon, based on Chandler?s Philip Marlowe detective story.
?Being the first gold coin struck for the United States makes it a national treasure with tremendous significance for American history,? said Contursi.
Only 10 Brasher doubloons survive today. Contursi?s specimen, the one coming to Houston, is unique because it is the only one with the designer?s initials, ?EB,? punched across the breast of an eagle depicted on the coin. Other surviving examples have the initials on the eagle?s wing.
Former American Numismatic Association President, Kenneth E. Bressett, recently commented: ?The gold Brasher doubloon is without doubt our country?s most famous and significant coin.?
Recently, it was determined that the Brasher doubloon was America?s first $15 denomination coin. When issued in 1787, doubloons contained $14 worth of gold. However, the Brasher Doubloons actually had $15 worth of gold when they were made, according to John W. Dannreuther, a co-founder of Professional Coin Grading Service of Newport Beach, Calif.
The unique Brasher doubloon was kept in a vault in Baltimore for most of the 20th century when it was owned by the family of Baltimore & Ohio railroad magnate, T. Harrison Garrett, and later by Johns Hopkins University.
For additional information about the event, contact Carl Schwenker, (281) 586-9727 or visit the club?s web site: www.houstoncoinshow.org
