It was announced earlier this month that more than 800 gold United States Civil War-era coins were found somewhere in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky. Those coins were conserved by the Numismatic Conservation Services and authenticated, graded, and encapsulated by NGC and promoted as the “Great Kentucky Hoard.”
Among the coins were a number of key dates in the $20 double eagle and $10 eagle series in addition to a small number of Seated Liberty silver coins. The gold dollars are dated 1850 through 1862 and includes the “finest-known 1863 Double Eagles,” according to NGC. NGC also states that “several interesting varieties and errors were discovered.”
With the discovery made, the importance of the state of Kentucky during the American Civil War was highlighted by NGC: “It bordered Union states in the north and Confederate states in the south. Situated as such, tensions were high from the beginning of the nation’s unrest, and when the war began in 1861, Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin asserted the state’s neutrality with the “Kentucky Declaration of Neutrality.”
In addition, NGC went on to explain that “despite the Declaration of Neutrality, the Civil War was a time of great turmoil in Kentucky. Many families were pitted against one another, and Kentucky saw much conflict. The Great Kentucky Hoard may have been a result of this conflict, with the coins lost for over 150 years.”
As NGC handles the certification of the pieces, rare coin dealer and leading expert in United States coinage, Jeff Garrett, was called upon to handle the discovery.
“While I’m always excited when someone calls asking for advice about a rare coin discovery, the opportunity to handle the Great Kentucky Hoard is one of the highlights of my career,” Garrett stated.
Offering the collection to collectors will be one of the largest rare coin retailers in the country, GovMint. The coins will be available in the coming months and will have a special NGC Great Kentucky Hoard Label.
Source: NGC