Jeff Garrett: Sharing Your Coin Collection

One of the highlights of the recently completed 2024 ANA World’s Fair of Money was the exhibit of the Egyptian portion of the "Tyrant Collection." The collection is billed as the world’s most valuable private coin collection, and for anyone who has seen this magnificent assemblage, it would be hard to dispute. The ANA show exhibit focused on Egyptian coinage starting with coins from antiquity and continuing chronologically through the Islamic period.

The silver Tetradrachm of Cleopatra was one of the crowd favorites. The Islamic coinage is undoubtably rare and important but leaves much to be desired from an aesthetic standpoint. Each coin was accompanied by thoughtful text explaining the history behind the pieces.

The “Tyrant Collection” is the creation of the mega collector, Dan O'Dowd. He is a tech billionaire who famously declared that most billionaires have yachts, but that he gets seasick. Instead, he invests his play money into coin collecting. The “Tyrant Collection” spans the entire range of numismatics, including ancient coins, world coins and some of the best United States coins ever assembled by one collector. In my opinion, his ownership of the “King of Siam” Proof set alone vaults the collection into the stratosphere.

For years, Dan O’Dowd chose to remain anonymous and not share his collecting goals. He was hard at work buying some of the most important coins offered into the market. For fear of being run up on coins he needed, he worked behind the scenes quietly acquiring coins that fit his collection. After he was able to complete an important portion of his English collection, he finally revealed his identity. His collection is now complete enough that he no longer needs to compete so aggressively for coins he desires.

Besides being worth hundreds of millions of dollars, what truly makes the “Tyrant Collection” special is that O'Dowd has gone to so much effort to share his collection with the public. He has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to showcase his collection in exhibits at coin conventions around the United States. His exhibit cases are state-of-the-art, and each is accompanied by an exhibit catalog. The collection of his exhibit catalogs is destined to be important collector items for future numismatists. The chronicling of this seminal collection is an amazing contribution to numismatics.

Obviously, O'Dowd sees value in expending so much time and money to share his collection with others in the numismatic community. Perhaps his exhibits will inspire others to explore numismatics more carefully. The “Tyrant Collection” also exposes areas of the hobby that many have never considered. Regardless of his true intentions, growing the hobby is a natural result of his efforts and should be applauded by everyone.

Not all great collectors of the past shared their mega collections so freely. The infamous collector and dealer John J. Ford Jr. never shared his giant collection with other collectors. After he passed, Stack’s Bowers sold his massive collection, the catalogs for which take up nearly the entire shelf of a bookcase in my office. One dealer related to me that when the collection was picked up for auction, some of the safety deposit boxes had not been opened for decades. Ford was also stingy about sharing numismatic knowledge about his collection, instead choosing to safeguard the information for his own use.

One of the greatest collections ever assembled was the Louis Eliasberg collection that was billed as the only complete set of US coins ever put together. According to articles in the numismatic press in the 1970s, Eliasberg exhibited the collection in 1976 to help celebrate the nation's bicentennial. The public was able to see the complete story of US numismatics in one exhibit, which must have been truly a sight to see. By 1982, portions of the collection were auctioned by Stack’s of New York City.

An 1855 Proof Gold Dollar from NGC Coin Explorer Click images to enlarge.

Another famous collector who enjoyed sharing his collection was the ever-enthusiastic John Jay Pittman. I have fond memories of seeing highlights of his stellar collection on exhibit at major shows such as the ANA and FUN conventions. Pittman was a famous collector of early Proof US coinage, which he pioneered the appreciation of. I remember looking at his two-coin set of Proof 1854 and 1855 Gold Dollars in amazement. Years later, I had the opportunity to handle each of the coins.

Speaking of the above 1854 and 1855 Proof Gold Dollars, both of these coins now reside in the Dell Loy Hansen collection. The Hansen collection is one of the most complete sets of US coins ever assembled and rivals the Eliasberg collection for completeness and quality. Fortunately for modern collectors, highlights of the Hansen collection can be seen at many major conventions.

You do not have to be a billionaire to share your numismatic passions. Many major coin conventions have numismatic exhibits of every shape and size. The recently completed ANA World’s Fair of Money featured an outstanding exhibit section this year with over 250 showcases. Collectors young and old shared their numismatic passion and competed for ribbons.

Photo courtesy of the ANA

For our local coin club in Lexington, Kentucky, collectors often perform a "show and tell" of their prized possessions. Many of the attendees claim this is their favorite part of the monthly meetings. The numismatic camaraderie and education created by these local collectors is admirable.

The above vividly describes the physical sharing of coins through exhibits and other numismatic venues. One of the most important developments in the history of numismatics has been the creation of online Set Registry collecting. This innovation provides collectors a way to share their collection virtually and to compete with other like-minded enthusiasts. Collectors love the challenge of assembling the top Registry collection for the series they have chosen to pursue. This demand has led to staggering prices for Top Pops of almost every series.

Shutterstock photo

With social media playing an ever-increasing role in the hobby, collectors have another medium to share their treasures. There are dozens of Facebook and Instagram groups devoted to numismatics. Many young collectors are drawn to the excitement of showing off their latest find, especially toned coins. Sharing your passion for numismatics has never been easier.

Whether you are doing a "show and tell" at the local coin club or mounting a major exhibit, we all benefit from your efforts to share the hobby of numismatics with as many people as possible. You will be surprised by how many people enjoy your effort and start their own numismatic journey.

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