Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-05-20
PAYS THOUSANDS FOR
| AMERICAS RAREST COIN
Friends go 10 Dunhan's Vault TO
See Shining Gold Piece
in Plush Case.
HERO OF THE COLLECTORS WORLD
sixtythree Members of the Chicago
Mumistic Society Own More Than
$4,000 Pieces of Money-Many
Coins Are Rare and of Immense
Value.
Especial to the Daily Press,

Especial to the Daily Press.)
CHICAGO. May l9-Chicago's coin
hero came Ia town today
Bearing the prize Of the Philadel
phia auction sale Of rare coins. for
which he paid n price that broke all
records. W. +. Durham. censor of the
Chicago NuInistic society, made a tri
nmphant entry TO Chicago.
When he stepped from The Pennsyl-
yannia flyer AT The Union station lie
was met by Il reception committee of
the society, drawn up outside the iron
station gates and anxious to get
glimpse of what some call Americas
rarest coin and the expert who paid
$2,lG5 for Il golden half-eagle of the
mintage of 1922.
For twenty minutes the golden
prize was displayed, with the wealthy
coin fadisls elhowing each other to
get nearer, and station guards urging
the crowd vainly To make room for
persons hurrying To catch outgoing
trains.
All Beg to See Coin.
DO let me look nj It," pleaded w.
q. Jerrems. who became president of
the society when ii was formed three
years ago. There was Il chorus of
Abs aud "Ohs!" as Mr.. Durham
lifted the shining gold piece from its
he'd Of plush.
Isn't that beauty" shouted
gray-haircd member of the society on
the enter edge of he crowd.
Let me see It ii minute" came a
plea from half q dozen of the coin
collectors.
The arrival of Mr.. Durham with
the gold piece means To the numisma-
fists of Chicago that the city now has
two of the three haf-easles of 1929
which are in existence. One is I'm the
United States mint at Philadelphia.
one is the property of Virgil NJ. Brand,
OF Chicago and the third is the late
purhase by Mr.. Durham.
Let us all go to the safedeposit
vaults. Suggested Mr.. Dtnhnm. try.
Ing to elbow his way ont of the group
Of coin enthusiasts. "Then every
body can see ii and 1t will be safegn.,
Enthusiasts Inspect With Glee.
There was Il rush for carriages and
in The Masonic temple vaults a little
later the new arrival in the Chicago
coin colony was inspected sleefully
Among those who viewed it were NJ
H. Strauss, G. w. Tracy, Benjamin
Green, l. Excel c. w. Morris. Elmo
Simpson. Il c. Berkler NJ. p Carey
and II. c.. Whitehall, besides Judson
Bremner of DeKalb.
1T is perfect" was the verdict of
the coin students.
Such perfect figure of the god
dess of liberty
How delightful IL has colored."
What bit of perfect milling of It's
edges"
How well it has been preserved. :"
II took an hour to satisfy the desire
OF the rare-coin enthusiasts in their
study of Mr. Dunham's prize.
Hope to Found Department.
The sixty-three members of the Chi
cago Nnmstic society are owners of
total of more than 100000 pieces OF
money The collection of Mr.. Brand
alone includes over G5 600 coins.
I'VE intend to make Chicago the
numisiic center of the western world,
said MIR. Durham. at is our desire
to found department. ut is our de
sire TO found Il department of rare
coins for the Field museum and to
give Chicago n coin collection better
than that of any other city In Ameri-
ca and rlvaling the collections of Ber-
lin and Paris
1t Is asserted there are three mil
lionaires in the Chicago Society for
Collection Of Rare and Odd Coins and
that they are among the most encr.
Getlc searcherS and free-handed buy
ers OF ancient money in the country
Specialists Among Members.
Some members of the Chicago club
are specialists. Mr.. Durham has, in
addition to his collection of American
coins. bought hundreds of Greek ami
Roman copper and silver pieces. His
line OF Greek tetradrachms dates as
far back as 4S0 b. G.. President G.. w.
Tracy. of the society. is the owner Of
thousands of Russians coins and is
considered an international authority
on Russian foney of all denomina-
lions.
The gold coin bought by Mr. Dun
nam at Philadelphia was from the col
lection of the late II. B. Smith, of
New York. Mr.. Smith had kept the
coin for thirty-five years. His collec.
ton brought at auction, about $685.
600. A New Yorw collector offered MIR.
Durham S300 more than lie paid for
his prize few minutes after the sale.
but the offer was refused
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establishment of civil governments