Pronounced by Numismatic experts as America’s most famous and significant coin, this unique doubloon is also widely accepted as the very first gold coin struck by the United States of America.  One of only seven examples known, this specimen is unique in that the “EB” counterstamp (initials of silversmith Ephraim Brasher, who made the coin) is on the shield over the eagle’s breast.  The other six examples carry the “EB” stamp on the eagle’s wing.

In an article titled “Understanding Brasher’s Doubloons” (The Brasher Bulletin, 2006), David McCarthy writes:

The Brasher Punch-on-Breast Doubloon is the first gold coin of a distinctly American design to be denominated in dollars and struck to the standard that would be adopted for all U.S. gold coins. It is the first truly American gold coin, and is the forbearer of all gold coins struck by the United States. No other U.S. Colonial or Federal coin can lay claim to such historical significance, placing Brasher's first New York-style Doubloon in a class by itself. The history surrounding its origins, its distinction as the product of the first issuer of private gold coins in America and its status as the first gold coin depicting specific American themes make the Brasher Punch-on-Breast Doubloon the single most important coin in the canon of American numismatics.

To be in any way associated with this Numismatic legend is an honor most collectors will never have.  Jay Parrino’s The Mint has handled transactions for this historic coin on two separate occasions.

At the turn of the 20th century, a world class U.S. coin collector named Louis Eliasberg had a dream.  He wanted to become the first and only person ever to assemble a complete date and mint mark set of U.S. coins.  The very last coin that he needed was this very dime.

This coin is one of a kind – there is no other specimen.  United States Mint reports indicate that 12,400 dimes were struck at the Carson City Mint during 1873, then shipped to a distribution point in February of the same year.  From there, they disappeared – they were never issued.  The culprit is most likely a government coinage act which called for an increase in weight of all silver coins – these new coins would be distinguished by arrows on either side of the date – and the subsequent melting of the old coins.   For years it was assumed that none of the original “no arrows” dimes survived, until this coin appeared in public sale in 1914. 

The 1873-CC dime draws attention every time it changes hands, every serious collector knowing full well that without this specific dime it is impossible to duplicate Eliasberg’s feat.  As the #1 source for serious collectors, Jay Parrino’s The Mint secured this coin and subsequently made it available to a client.

The Indian Head ("Buffalo") nickel was introduced in February of 1913, replacing the Liberty Head design. These were the first official strikes of nickels in 1913; the Mint's official records do not record any Liberty Head nickels produced that year. Liberty Head nickels dated 1913 first came to the attention of the numismatic community in 1920. All five were in the possession of Samuel Brown, a numismatist who attended the American Numismatic Association's annual convention and displayed the coins there.

In January 1924, Samuel Brown sold all five 1913 Liberty Head nickels. The intact lot passed through the hands of several other coin dealers before finally being purchased by Colonel E.H.R. Green (son of the infamous miser Hetty Green). Green kept them in his collection until his death in 1936. His estate was then auctioned off, and all five of the 1913 Liberty Head nickels were purchased by two dealers, Eric P. Newman and B.G. Johnson. The dealers broke up the set for the first time.

The Eliasberg specimen is the finest known 1913 Liberty Head nickel.  Of the five 1913 Liberty Head nickels, two have proof surfaces, and the other three were produced with standard striking techniques. The finest of the coins has been graded Proof-66 by various professional grading services, including PCGS and NGC.

This coin was purchased from Newman and Johnson by the Numismatic Gallery, a coin dealership that then sold it to famed collector Louis Eliasberg. It remained in Eliasberg's comprehensive collection until after his death. In May 1996, the sale of this coin (to Jay Parrino’s The Mint) produced national headlines.  It shattered all previous records and became the first single coin to sell in public auction for over $1 million.

Also known as “Coin Notes,” Treasury Notes were a byproduct of Senator Richard P. Bland’s efforts to force up silver prices on behalf of mine owners.  When the Bland-Allison Act (which provided for the coinage of millions of silver dollars) expired, Bland and friends pushed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act through Congress. This forced the Treasury to buy 4.5 million ounces of silver each month to turn into silver dollars, paying for the silver with Treasury Notes.  These notes, in turn, were redeemed by Treasury in gold.  This would have been fine, except for the fact the Treasury paid premium prices for the silver.  Savvy mine owners and businessmen quickly realized the mistake and took advantage of it.  They sold silver the to the Treasury, redeemed the Treasury Notes for gold, used the gold to buy silver on the open market then re-sold the silver to the Treasury at a higher rate!  Within a few years, the Treasury had been drained of gold and the government was nearly bankrupt.  President Grover Cleveland had to call a special session of Congress to repeal the Sherman Act and put an end to this fiasco.

The famous “Grand Watermelon” note, this is the unique red seal example of this fascinating issue and is the only known example of this Friedberg number in private hands (the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco has another in a slightly lower grade).  The popular nickname for the note comes from the obverse design which features thick, green, oval zeroes in the “1000” that resemble watermelons.  This note is regarded as the world’s most valuable piece of currency and was just recently sold by Jay Parrino’s The Mint.

Only four examples of this extremely rare note are known to exist and only two of those are in private hands and this is the best of those two.  Only 16,000 notes were originally printed and in 1933 the private ownership of Gold Certificates was banned.  This lofty denomination represented considerable buying power in its day and it is unlikely that any were saved as collectibles – even by the wealthiest individuals.  Given its value, it was equally unlikely to be lost, misplaced or forgotten, which makes the existence of even two privately held notes absolutely remarkable!

Among the entire run of United States currency issues, this note is among the more inspiring issues that collectors dream of owning.  The allure of the high denomination, the romance of Gold Certificates and the tremendous rarity of this particular note combine to create a true centerpiece.  Jay Parrino’s The Mint procured this note and it now occupies a prime spot in a noteworthy collection.

From 1966 to 1999 one of the legendary icons of Las Vegas was the Million Dollar Display at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino.  This collection of one hundred 1934 $10,000 bills, encased in Plexiglas and framed by an inverted golden horseshoe, was the backdrop for over 5 million photographs.  Tourists, celebrities, even royalty came to have their pictures taken next to the million dollars in cash.  When the casino decommissioned the display in the late 1990’s, Jay Parrino’s The Mint was there and bought all 100 notes.

$10,000 bills are rare in their own right, being the largest denomination note issued for general circulation ($100,000 notes were printed, but used only for transfers within the Federal Reserve Bank system – private ownership is prohibited).  This particular note has the dual distinction of being not only the best of the 100 note hoard, but the finest known example in the world. 

The birth of Marvel Entertainment can be traced back to this very first Marvel Comics book which introduced not one, but two superstars, The Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner.*  There are very few copies of this issue known to exist in any grade, with only 3 unrestored copies grading above Very Fine.  Jay Parrino’s The Mint purchased all 3 of those, with the finest of them being the “Pay copy.”

The “Pay copy” designation is derived from the fact that this is Lloyd Jacquet’s personal file copy and contains his notes detailing the check numbers and amounts paid to the artists who created its contents.  This issue is one of the most significant comic books in existence and is the finest known example.  In 2004, the Pay Copy of Marvel Comics #1 was certified by Guinness Book of World Records as “The most valuable comic book in the world.”

*Actually, Sub-Mariner first appeared in Lloyd Jacquet’s Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, which had extremely limited distribution, used as a premium given away at movie theaters.  The original story was extended and then re-used for the Marvel Comics #1 version.

The famed Golden Age of comic books began with the release of the most important comic book in history:  Action Comics #1.  First appearance and origin of Superman: The Man of Steel, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster.  This lone issue would transform a young market filled with adventure tales, police-detective stories and humor strip reprints into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.  Superman appears majestically and suddenly on this classic cover and continues to reign supreme over all other heroes to this day.  He was the first and greatest of all superheroes and his influence on all types of adventure stories, motion pictures, and pop-culture as a whole is without compare.  This legendary issue is the “Holy Grail” of the comic book industry, second to none.

One of the rarest of all the Golden Age key comics, Detective Comics #27 is the second most important comic book ever published.  As the first appearance and origin of Batman, this milestone issue introduced to the world the grim, dark hero that would eventually eclipse even Superman in popularity.  Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, this book began a short series of incredible Batman covers (Detective Comics #27-37) that are considered by many experts as the absolute pinnacle of Golden Age cover art.  The Batman series also contains one of the most famous superhero origin stories and, with the introduction of Robin, the Boy Wonder, began a trend of young sidekicks that continues today.   This book is truly a landmark issue.

The 1953 duofolio (2 sheet) movie poster for the film Casablanca is legendary among movie collectors.  Most collectors have known of its existence but have never seen the image.  This poster was created by one of the most renowned Italian poster artists of the time, Luigi Martinati (1893-1984), who did most of his work for Warner Brothers.   Casablanca is argued by movie fans and critics alike as the greatest movie of all time, and this poster is, without question, is the best image depicting the chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.  Legend has it that the original artwork was destroyed by Martinati himself, who supposedly burnt it to stay warm during the bitter winter of 1955.

If you ask a hundred of the top collectors to name the most valuable movie poster ever created, you will get a hundred different opinions.  However, in the area of Animation, a genre that enjoys a worldwide audience thanks to the recent explosion of successful animated features over the last 15 years, the choice is very clear.  The Mad Doctor, released through United Artists in 1933, easily stands out from the all the rest.  It has all the ingredients: popularity, rarity, historical significance and visual appeal.  Mickey Mouse, the most famous animated character ever created, is featured on this poster strapped to a table while the fiendish Mad Doctor smiles and sharpens a very large blade.  This poster, is the sole unrestored copy in existence, and its Near Mint condition is virtually unheard of in any 1930’s posters.  In terms of content, though mild by today’s standards, the film’s horror theme caused quite a stir when it was first released and was actually banned in Europe.  The poster is a visually stunning stone lithograph that sports full original borders, all original inks and perfect registration.  There can be little argument that this is the most valuable animated movie poster in existence.