Rare $5 Gold Coin Worth $8M To Go On Display In Long Beach
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A 193-year-old gold coin worth $8 million – just one of three known to still exist – will make its debut Thursday at a Long Beach coin show.
There are only three 1822-dated U.S. $5 denomination gold coins known as the Half Eagle are known to exist, and the other two are part of the Smithsonian's collection in Washington D.C., according to officials from the Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp & Sports Collectible Expo.
The coin, now insured for $8 million, was last seen publicly in 1982 when it was purchased by the Pogue family of Dallas for $687,500 at a New York auction.
According Don Willis, president of Professional Coin Grading Service, the company that authenticated and certified the coin, the United States Mint produced 17,796 Half Eagles at the Philadelphia Mint.
"The coin coming to Long Beach is the only 1822 $5 gold piece gold piece in private hands and it is the finest of the three known survivors," Willis said in a statement.
The Long Beach Expo is open to the public Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and children 8 to 16. Free admission coupons are available on the Long Beach Expo's website, under "Get Passes" with the promo code PRJAN15.
