#55-The 1822 Half Eagle
"To the collector’s zeal is now added a craving for knowledge and his cabinet becomes a powerful and valuable influence in favor of education.” -Virgil M. Brand
Hope you are having a great week!
I’m searching for the world's greatest collectibles, and exploring the journey of history's greatest creators.
Here’s a few things I’ve learned over the last few days -
#1 - The 1822 Half Eagle Gold Coin
With the help of Q. David Bowers, and his amazing book on the subject titled, 'The 1822 Gold Half Eagle, Story of Rarity,' we're looking at what makes this coin one of the most valuable and epic coins of all-time.
And we’ll not only take a closer look at the amazing coin, but also the legendary collectors who owned the ultra-rare gold coin.
Here’s a few words from Virgil Brand, who owned one of the three 1822 Half Eagles. Who wrote an article way back in 1905 explaining the benefits of coin collecting -
"It is a part of archaeology and is a valuable aid in the study of mythology, heraldry, iconography, and other subjects.
But its relation is closest to history; in fact coins have been freely employed in revising the latter, and much valuable historical data rests entirely upon their testimony.
In the domain of art, coins and medals occupy an important place. They furnish instantaneous ocular proof of the attained stage in its development at all times, and are unimpeachable contemporaneous witnesses to its progress."
-Legendary coin collector, Virgil M. Brand, 1905
Listen to the episode with your Apple Podcast player -
#2 - Honus Wagner and the T-206
Why did Honus Wagner stop the printing of his baseball card back in 1909?
It's one of the great baseball debates.
But you'll have to understand the life and baseball career of Honus Wagner to get a better appreciation of his fateful decision.
The decision to halt the creation of - what is now known as the Holy Grail of sports cards, the T-206 Honus Wagner.
I read three biographies on Honus Wagner over the last week, and I found the moment.
It's the moment that I'm always searching for. When the legend is created.
#3 - Creating the Porsche 917
The story of the Porsche 917 is so much more than the amazing car itself -
It’s also a thrilling tale of teamwork, dedication, and most importantly, iteration.
The constant pursuit to improve and perfect the car that would roar past all the competition on the racetrack for almost 2 ½ years… Iteration was the key to the 917,
Even with a newly designed, super-powerful, monster V-12 engine, Porsche’s original design was not great. But the determined engineers and drivers relentlessly tested, studied, and tweaked the initial car until they found the perfect combination.
The formula for success was literally 'hammered out' on the test track through blood, sweat, and tears, and constant trial and error. From the track, and back into the shop, then over and over again, finding the perfect balance…
I’m searching for the world's greatest collectibles, and exploring the journey of history's greatest creators.
Let me know what stories you would like to hear next, I’d love any suggestions.
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Thanks for reading, and have a great week!