The prestigious Guinness Book of World Records has honored the United States' largest rare coin dealership for making the world's largest private purchase of a coin collection. The unprecedented $15,177,500 acquisition of nearly 200 gold coins by Heritage Rare Coin Galleries of Dallas, Texas has been certified by Guinness as the world's biggest rare coin transaction.
"The coins involved in the record-setting purchase came from the renowned collection of the late Ed Trompeter, a California industrialist. His estate contained some of the most historically important and valuable American gold coins," said Jim Halperin, co-owner of Heritage.
One of the highlights of the collection is the unique set of six "Amazonian" patterns, experimental coins made by the U.S. Mint in 1872 as possible designs for future gold coins. The six distinguished coins in the set are valued at a combined total of nearly $3 million.
"These famous patterns portray a warrior-like symbolic image of Miss Liberty, and were nicked-named 'Amazonian' by collectors as a reference to the Amazons, Greek mythological female warriors," Halperin explained.
In a letter to Heritage, Kim Stram, special projects director for Guinness Media, Inc., wrote: "Your claim for the largest transaction for a private coin collection has been accepted as a Guinness Record. Your record has been added to our records database. Guinness World Records Ltd. in London, England reviews all records for the database and determines which will be selected for publication."
The official Guinness World Records Certificate presented to Heritage reads: "The largest transaction for a private world record coin collection is $15,177,500 for over 200 U.S. coins belonging to the estate of Ed Trompeter by Heritage Rare Coin Galleries of Dallas, Texas USA on 4 August 1998."
Members of the Heritage staff plan to celebrate the company's recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records at a party, October 13, at the Londoner Pub, an English-theme restaurant in Dallas.
"We literally 'went for the gold' and got it, a fantastic coin collection and a world's record." said Halperin.
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