Rare 1787 $15.00 gold Brasher doubloon fetches $7.4M

[jeff of pa]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An exceedingly rare 1787 gold Brasher doubloon has been sold for $7.4 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a gold coin.

Minted by Ephraim Brasher, a goldsmith and neighbor of George Washington, the coin contains 26.66 grams of gold — slightly less than an ounce. Worth about $15 when it was minted, the gold value today would be more than $1,500.

http://hosted2.ap.org/PAPOE/f7ded15e...f78a1ef40e1862

[Deepdiger60]

Nice coin to say the least i read about those Brashers, back in 2005 3 sold at auction in Florida ----

On January 12, 2005 Heritage Auction Galleries sold all three varieties of Brasher Doubloons as part of their Florida United Numismatists U.S. Coin Auction, Platinum Night Session. The coins realized $2,415,000 for the New York Style EB Punch on Wing NGC AU55,[2] $2,990,000 for the unique New York Style EB Punch on Breast NGC XF45[3] and $690,000 for the rare but less iconic Lima Style Doubloon.

but nowhere can i see just how many where actually minted by Brasher ? hhmm , i dont suppose there are any in the ground to be dug ?? naaaaa .
must be nice that places like a Wall Street firm can afford to buy that coin . Jim

[bartholomewroberts]

A few years back, in the 90s if I remember correctly, a fellow named Michael O Smith , dug one. I remember reading about it in W&ET

[CanadianTrout]

I just saw this news article and came straight here to post about it. (Thanks jeff! )

You say someone dug one of these? Jeeeez! Did he survive the event?

Talk about needing a metal detector, pin-pointer, and a defibrillator every time you hunt.....

[jonesy]

wow i have one just like that one my mother left it to me with a lot of other coins problem is i dont think its made of gold!!! lol

[relicminer]

Now where did I put that one I found....

[jonesy]

hey Relicminer,, i know you were being funny.. or maybe sarcastic with your comment,

but i really do have one just like the 2nd pic. it looks like it has a patina on it like an old

penny

with a little yellow showing thru on the hi spots. Jonesy

its not heavy enough to be gold

[Gunrunner61]

Jonesy, I too found one of those like you have. I found it out in my front yard in 1998, Thinking that it was the REAL DEAL I called the Simthsonian tell ing the guy what I found and where, He kinda laughed and told me that I did NOT have one of the real one's but, That in the 70's Plymouth had a prmo going on when they sold the "Gold Duster", They gave away a bag of gold coins, Pewter coins that were cast! including the Brasher's. So take your coin and see if you can bend it. Also if you look close you will see the edge where it was cast. Sorry to bust your Bubble.......Worth he said NADA!