13 Jan, 2012
What's It Worth?
1793 penny fetches $1.38M at Fla. auction
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A once-cent copper coin from the earliest days of the U.S. Mint in 1793 has sold for a record $1.38 million at a Florida auction.
James Halperin of Texas-based Heritage Auctions told The Associated Press on Saturday that the sale was "the most a United States copper coin has ever sold for at auction." The coin was made at the Mint in Philadelphia in 1793, the first year that the U.S. made its own coins.
Heritage officials said in a news release that the name of the buyer was not revealed but that he was "a major collector." One of the coin's earliest owners was a well-known Baltimore banker, Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.
"Mr. Eliasberg was nicknamed, 'the king of coins' because before his death in 1976 he assembled a collection that consisted of at least one example of every coin ever made at the United States Mint, a feat never duplicated," Halperin said in the news release.
The final bid for the coin last week was one of the largest sales at the Florida United Numismatists coin show and annual convention, which runs through Sunday. Halperin said a five-dollar gold piece from 1829 also was sold.
Halperin said there remain a few hundred 1793 coins in different condition, but that the one auctioned off Wednesday night is rare because it wasn't in circulation.
Officials say it shows no wear on its lettering, its Lady Liberty face or the chain of linking rings on its back.
The news release said the coin is known as a "Chain Cent" because its chain of linking rings was supposed to represent the solidarity of the states. The design was changed to a wreath after some critics claimed it was symbolic of slavery.
Halperin said the auction had more than $64 million in transactions. The show runs through Sunday.
Story and Photo courtesy of news.yahoo.com.
Luke 21:1-4 (ESV)
The Widow's Offering
1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the worth of a small coin?
Listen to what Tyndale's Life Application Study Bible Notes have to say about today's God's Story scripture:
In contrast to the way most of us handle our money, this widow gave all she had to live on. When we consider oursleves generous in giving a small percentage of our income to the Lord, we resemble those who gave 'a tiny part of their surplus.' Here Jesus admired her generous and sacrificial giving. As believers, we should consider increasing our giving - whether money, time, or talents - to a point beyond mere convenience.
Today's Story confirms that we have no idea how much what we give today might be worth tomorrow.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
What are you giving to God? Whatever it is, it is between you and Him alone. Take some time today to talk with God about what you give and how you give it.
- Are you giving of your money? Is it enough?
- Are you giving your time? Is it enough?
- Are you giving your talents? Is it enough?
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Ask some friends if they heard about Today's Story when it hit the news last weekend.
- Ask those same friends if they have ever heard story of the widow's offering from God's Story.
- Talk with them about what it means to give 'all you have to live on.'
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