The “Brasher doubloon” gold coin, the first of its kind ever minted in the country, sold at a Florida auction for $4,582,500. Considered the world’s most valuable coin, the Brasher doubloon was sold to an unidentified buyer through Heritage Auctions at the Florida United Numismatists Convention in Orlando. This type of coin was reportedly minted […]
A Treasure Hidden for 70 Years
Posted on January 21st, 2014 by Joe G
A Paris apartment that had been untouched for 70 years was discovered to hold valuable art and antiques three years ago. But why was it untouched for so long? The owner of the apartment was a young woman who fled in 1942, fearing Nazi persecution, and never returned. Three years ago, at age 91, she […]
A Piece of Hawaiian History
Posted on January 16th, 2014 by Joe G
Do you own an Aloha shirt (commonly known as a Hawaiian shirt)? Although they are sometimes seen as a tourist symbol, these items of clothing have an interesting history and reasoning behind their unique style. Honolulu was originally a very conservative area in regards to fashion. In the 1920s and ’30s immigrants from Japan, the […]
The ‘Coasting Bank’ Makes Bank
Posted on January 14th, 2014 by Joe G
Known as ‘Baby on a Sled’ or ‘Coasting Bank,’ this contraption looks more like a toy than a place to store coins. The mechanical bank has been an object of myth among collectors since a dealer in 1955 found it featured in an 1884 ad. The ad displayed the manufacturer as J. & E. Stevens, […]
Lost and Found
Posted on January 9th, 2014 by Joe G
A Stradivarius violin made in 1696 was sold at auction for $2,263,275. This particular violin comes with a unique story, as it was stolen three years ago from internationally-known violinist Min-Jin Kym in a cafe and found this past summer at a home in England. The violin was made at the Cremona, Italy workshop of Antonio […]