#43 Saint Gaudens, Brasher's Doubloon, and Enzo
"Teddy was still determined to have his day..."
Hope you are having a great weekend!
I read two amazing books, 'Recollections of a Newspaperman,'
by former Director of the United States Mint, Frank Leach,
and 'Illegal Tender,' by David Tripp.
So, I made a podcast episode about the amazing effort to renew American coinage.
Or, here’s the Apple Podcast link -
The undertaking to create Saint Gaudens double eagle gold coins is an amazing story of teamwork, persistence, and leadership.
Hope you enjoy it!
Three Thoughts -
Here’s a few interesting things I learned this week while searching for the world’s greatest collectibles.
#1 - Brasher’s Doubloon
Only seven examples are known to exist.
On one side, the sun rising over mountains. The other side, an eagle with arrows and olive branches.
Six coins feature Ephraim Brasher's initials on the right wing,
and one coin is stamped, "EB" on the eagle's chest.
One of the six "right wing" coins sold in 2021 for almost $10 million.
When the only coin stamped "EB" on the Eagle's chest was first offered at a coin auction in 1882, collectors were in a frenzy.
The coin was bid up to an astounding amount,
and sold for a whopping $505.
An amount unheard of at the time, for one single coin.
The same "EB on Eagle's chest" coin sold for $3 million in 2005.
Many experts call the 1787 Brasher Doubloon the single most important coin in American history.
How much would it sell for today?
#2 - The Godfather of Art Dealers
You know you are good at your job when...
I wanted to learn more about the 1970s and 1980s art scene, so I read, 'Art Dealers.'
The book, published in 1984, features interviews from 35 of the most well-known art dealers.
But the book should have just been titled, 'Leo Castelli.'
As I made my way through the book, there was a unmistakable and noticeable trend.
Nearly every single famous art dealer talks more about Leo Castelli than the actual artists they represented, or the biggest deals they negotiated.
It's almost comical - as you go from one art dealer to the next. The 35 most well-known art dealers of the 1980s can't help themselves. They are constantly name dropping Leo Castelli.
Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky... Leo Castelli.
If you're unfamiliar with the name, Castelli was an art dealer for 50 years and transformed the entire art world as we know it today.
You know you are good at your job when every one of your competitors can't stop talking about you.
So if you want to learn more about contemporary art and how it's bought and sold, go right to the source. Start with Leo Castelli.
The book is a great read, by the way. Highly recommend it.
#3 - “A Passion to Get Somewhere”
He was almost 18 years old, then his father died.
Just months later, his brother passed away.
No money and little education, he was devastated.
But later, Enzo Ferrari recalls in his autobiography,
"All I had was a passion to get somewhere."
As his dream of racing and building cars developed, he knew he would need a great team.
Toward the end of his life, Enzo argued he only had one quality -
"The stubborn determination to capture the trust of those who work with me."
Reach out - I’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you love double eagle gold coins, be sure to check out my latest podcast episode here -
(and I would love any feedback you might have)
Here’s an excerpt from David Tripp’s amazing book, ‘Illegal Tender’ -
"The even white line of his teeth peeked out as his mustaches bristled. But he was not smiling. He brought his fist down on his desk repeatedly, punctuating his sentences physically and shattering the calm of his office. Furious that his grand vision for a renaissance of American coinage was being stymied and sabotaged by a single malignant Mint employee, bitterly aware that his great goal would not be achieved the way he and Gus had envisioned it, Teddy was still determined to have his day. He would have the American public see what brilliance of design and execution could be applied even to everyday spending money. It was the very least he could do to honor Saint-Gaudens."
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Thanks for reading, and have a great week!