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V11 2008 INDEX
E-SYLUM ARCHIVE
DON KAGIN ON THE ORIGIN OF THE PIONEER GOLD FORUM
Don Kagin added the following remarks on the origin and
composition of the Pioneer Gold Forum. -Editor
The Pioneer Forum
originated with our suspicions two years ago of another controversial
issue . the $20 1861 Clark Gruber & Co. Prooflike and counter stamped
issues. These were .discovered. in the late 1950s but the origins seem to
have been Jack Klauson .from an old guy in Denver., or so he told me. A
few of these pieces appeared over the years in almost all the major
auction houses including Kagin.s. Some of these coins were already in PCGS
holders. I put the Forum together and we met at the FUN show last January.
A unanimous determination was made that the coins in question were 20th
century Fantasies made for collectors. (PCGS repurchased the slabbed
pieces).For the last two years I, with the particular help from my associate David McCarthy, who not only is a top numismatic researcher and trader but is also an excellent coin photographer, have been traveling around the country to photograph all the important pioneer gold collections so I can have a comprehensive photographic library and then pick the best specimens for the color plate coins for the 2nd edition of my book tentatively to be published by Whitman in 2010.
In doing so we encountered what we now believe to be the prototype or original coin which was used for the Franklin Hoard pieces. David noticed the familiar pattern of repeating depressions and marks which we had seen on the .proofllike. coins of the Franklin hoard. My client graciously allowed us to use his coin for our study group (as did a couple of other of our clients with their specimens). The members of the study group are:
- Andy Lustig
- Robert Rhue
- David McCarthy
- Don Kagin
- Fred Holabird
- John Dannreuther
- Mary Sauvain
- Stuart Levine
- Robert Leonard
- J.P. Martin
- Tony Terranova
- David Camire
- Tom Delorey
Non-members invited to attend who participate by either examining the coins and material or commenting at the meeting:
- George Fuld
- Q. David Bowers
- John Kleeberg
- Ira Goldberg
Not only did we tackle one of the most controversial pioneer issues but of all numismatics. We feel the method we used should serve as a template for future scientific study of controversial numismatic material:
- gathering, printing and shipping all previous information on these specimens
- acquiring a significant number of specimens (12 in this case, which took us five years, culminating with the purchase of the Robert Bass collection)
- sending the coins to a laboratory for analysis
- persuading most of the leading minds in pioneer gold and authentication to spend several hours reading all the past reams of present data, view the images on line and make comments, and then take precious bourse time to examine the coins
- photograph and place images on a designated .chat. room along with the specifications of each coin, overlays and arrows pointing to important features
- arranging for the forum meeting with media, and presenting a focused, one hour meeting sans personality issues (i.e. letting the coins speak for themselves).
Our next project will probably be another subset of .Ford discovered. issues . the .tablet. USAOG coinage and ingots. As you know Ford, who was one of my advisors for my Pioneer book, could be very persuasive and most of us including Harvey Stack, Dave Bowers, my father and I believed most of what he said. Others, like Walter Breen, I now conclude, while having issues with John, feared him.
Indeed. Setting personality, opinion and emotion aside is
paramount. We'll look forward to the publication of the new edition of
Don's book, Private Gold Coins and Patterns of the United States.
-Editor
Wayne Homren, Editor
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