STOLEN HOLEY DOLLAR RECOVERED BY ANA

An 1813 New South Wales Holey dollar worth over $150,000 stolen from the American Numismatic Association in 2007 has been recovered, the organization announced Oct. 31.

The Holey dollar was returned Oct. 23 by Coinworks, Ltd., an Australian numismatic firm. It had acquired the coin from an Australian auction house in July 2007.

“Coinworks is an organization that prides itself on its strong ethic and commitment to the industry. That Coinworks initiated the discussions regarding the return of the 1813 Holey dollar to its rightful owner (ANA) is a clear demonstration of the principles by which we operate,” said Belinda Downie of Coinworks.

The coin had been sold for $155,755 in July 2007 at an auction in Melbourne and was one of approximately 300 stolen from the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Wyatt Yeager, who had briefly been ANA collections manager in early 2007, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to one count of theft of major artwork, a violation of Title 18, United States, Section 668. He was sentenced in federal district court in Wilmington, Del., April 24 by Judge Leonard P. Stark.

He received 27 months in federal prison and two years supervised release He was also ordered to pay $948,505 in restitution.

“We are delighted to have the Holey dollar returned to our museum collection,” said ANA Executive Director Jeff Shevlin. “It’s great to have a success,” he added.

The Holey dollar was struck on a 1788 Spanish-American 8-reales piece of Charles III struck in Mexico City. It has a large hole punched out of it; around the hole is an added legend “NEW SOUTH WALES 1813” on the obverse and “FIVE SHILLINGS” on the reverse. It is considered Australia’s first domestic coin. Around 350 Holey dollars survive today.

The ANA has also recovered a number of other coins, including a gold pattern from The Netherlands, several Mexican pieces from the 15th to 17th centuries, a tetradrachm of Lysimachus from Thrace, and coins from Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica and Peru.

Overall, roughly 10 percent of the stolen coins have been recovered and these are worth approximately 20 percent of the stolen coins’ overall value.

To read the complete article, see: ANA Recovers Its Stolen Holey Dollar (www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=26060)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: ANA MUSEUM LOOTED OF $1 MILLION IN RARE COINS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n03a05.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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