If you have ever moved into a new home, you probably came across some items left behind from the previous owners. Generally, the items are meant for the garbage: old cleaning supplies or other junk. A woman in Minnesota moved into her new Cape Cod style home in December and found a not-so dull surprise […]
The Brasher Doubloon Makes a Comeback
Posted on January 23rd, 2014 by Joe G
The “Brasher doubloon” gold coin, the first of its kind ever minted in the country, sold at a Florida auction for $4,582,500. Considered the world’s most valuable coin, the Brasher doubloon was sold to an unidentified buyer through Heritage Auctions at the Florida United Numismatists Convention in Orlando. This type of coin was reportedly minted […]
A Treasure Hidden for 70 Years
Posted on January 21st, 2014 by Joe G
A Paris apartment that had been untouched for 70 years was discovered to hold valuable art and antiques three years ago. But why was it untouched for so long? The owner of the apartment was a young woman who fled in 1942, fearing Nazi persecution, and never returned. Three years ago, at age 91, she […]
A Piece of Hawaiian History
Posted on January 16th, 2014 by Joe G
Do you own any Aloha shirts (commonly known as Hawaiian shirts)? Although they are sometimes seen as a tourist symbol, these items of clothing have an interesting history and reasoning behind their unique style. Honolulu was originally a very conservative area in regards to fashion. In the 1920s and ’30s immigrants from Japan, the Philippines […]
The ‘Coasting Bank’ Makes Bank
Posted on January 14th, 2014 by Joe G
Known as ‘Baby on a Sled’ or ‘Coasting Bank,’ this contraption looks more like a toy than a place to store coins. The mechanical bank has been an object of myth among collectors since a dealer in 1955 found it featured in an 1884 ad. The ad displayed the manufacturer as J. & E. Stevens, […]