Though it might not have sold Jan. 2, 2007, for a record $4 million or $5 million, the 1913 Liberty Head nickel will stay very much in the headlines in 2007.
Another of the five famous 1913 nickels, the Walton specimen, will be put on display March 16-18 at the American Numismatic Association?s National Money Show in Charlotte, N.C.
Attendees will get to view it free of charge.
Accompanying the nickel and appearing together at 10 a.m. March 17 at a Numismatic Theatre roundtable presentation will be Ryan Givens and Cheryl Myers, a nephew and niece, respectively, of George O. Walton, a dealer who was killed in a car accident in 1962 and whose name is currently attached to the coin. Cheryl will be joined by her husband, Gary.
Pictures at the left are, l to r, Gary Myers, Ryan Givens (George Walton?s nephew) and Cheryl Myers (Walton?s niece) minutes after their 1913 Liberty Head nickel was authenticated in 2003. (Donn Pearlman photos)
The trio are the heirs to the famous coin who came forward in 2003 at the ANA World?s Fair of Money in Baltimore to reveal that they still had the coin, which the hobby had considered missing since 1962.
They came forward as a result of a publicity campaign launched by Paul Montgomery earlier that year. He offered a $1 million reward for finding the nickel.
Montgomery will be part of the roundtable as will John Dannreuther and Mark Borckardt, who assisted with the initial authentication. Also participating will be Donn Pearlman and Beth Deisher, who both had roles in bringing the coin to light.
Walton?s sister had been mistakenly told that the coin was a fake. As a consequence, it had sat on the floor of a Virginia closet for 41 years.
The Numismatic Theatre admission is free, but come early, because a crowd is expected to hear the dramatic recent history of this famous coin.
