#50-The Amazing 1794 Silver Dollar
"And if the book proves to be helpful and useful to fellow collectors and dealers, I shall be graciously compensated.” - M.H. Bolender
Hope you are having a great weekend!
Here’s a few interesting things I learned this week while searching for the world’s greatest collectibles.
#1 - The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar
The amazing 1794 silver dollar is one of the most valuable and historic coins in the world.
Once you hear the story, you could argue it might be the most historic coin ever created.
The 1794 silver dollar was the first “dollar” coin ever produced at the United States Mint.
And looking back now, it was the exclamation mark to the first epic years of the new country, the United States.
With the help of M.H. Bolender, "The Dean of American Numismatics," we explore the creators story of the silver dollars with his incredible book -
'The United States Early Silver Dollars From 1794 to 1803,' published in 1950.
And it took M.H. Bolender 40 years to write the book! What he considered the climax of his 70 year coin collecting career.
"This work has taken much of my time and money, and I do not now wonder that others have hesitated to attempt it. However, its preparation has brought me a great deal of pleasure, and if the book proves to be helpful and useful to fellow collectors and dealers, I shall be graciously compensated.”
- M.H. Bolender, Freeport, Illinois April 10, 1950
Hope you enjoy it!
#2 - Things That Never Change
I heard Jeff Bezos describe a concept he used to build Amazon and it blew my mind.
It’s so simple, yet the way Bezos explained it really changed the way I think and act.
In the book, ‘Invent and Wander,’ Bezos describes it like this –
“I get asked a very interesting question from time to time:
“Jeff, what’s going to change over the next ten years?” And I enjoy playing with the answer. That’s a fun dinner conversation.”
Bezos continues -
I love reminding myself of the benefits to long-term thinking.
Not just thinking, but how I spend my time, and with whom.
Lately, I'm learning I enjoy spending time with people who value -
Craftsmanship
Quality
Beauty
Timelessness
Cultural Significance
History
Desirability
Rarity
A Great Story
Then Bezos makes his final point. Like I said, it’s so simple, but it’s a concept I’m now constantly thinking about.
#3 - Investing in Emotion
I didn’t need another reason to love the Pagani supercar brand, but here it is.
Horacio Pagani, the founder and creator of the brand, has been dedicated to the art and science of car making since he was young.
But then I stumbled on another incredible quote from Horacio, where he was asked what the future looks like at Pagani…
His answer to the question was perfect in every way, and just another reason why I love this brand of supercars -
"Our goal is to keep on investing in everything that evokes emotion, which is art." -Horacio Pagani
I made a short podcast episode on Horacio’s dream to create the very first car, the Zonda C12. Check it out!
#4 - The Babe Ruth Story, Creating the Babe
How did George Ruth, a kid from nowhere, become one of the biggest sports legends of all-time?
He might be one of the most well known personalities in the entire world, even still to this day, 100 years since he played for the New York Yankees.
I read an amazing little book about how George Ruth turned into ‘The Babe.’
Changing professional baseball, the sports world, and an entire culture.
And the book was written in Babe Ruth’s words, just before he passed away in 1948.
I had a great time learning more about how a kid from nowhere - turned into, “The Babe.”
Please subscribe and share this with someone who might enjoy it.
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!