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Friday, 31st July 2009 (1324 views)

The first gold coin ever struck in the United States is to go on display at the American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money in Los Angeles next week.

Hand-crafted by George Washington's neighbour Ephraim Brasher, the 1767 Brasher Doubloon is insured for $7 million (£4.1 million), the Ventura County Star reports.

A piece of California Gold Rush history will also be on display in the shape of an "ultra-rare" Double Eagle gold coin from the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection.

This $20 coin was the first to be minted following the start of the gold rush in 1849.

Smithsonian coin curator Dick Doty said: "It shows how the gold rush was so big that a new denomination was needed."

The 1933 version of the Double Eagle will also be on show at the World's Fair of Money. It is even rarer than the 1849 coin because all but two of the pieces were melted down on the order of President Franklin D Roosevelt.

However, some were smuggled to safety and in 2002, a 1933 Double Eagle fetched a record $7.5 million.

The World's Fair of Money runs from August 5th to August 9th and is expected to attract between 10,000 and 12,000 visitors.

 

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