Famous U.S. Hoards
Well-known hoards are exciting for collectors and the public, especially when they were amassed under remarkable conditions. During the 1990s, Littleton Coin purchased three unusual hoards.
New York Subway Hoard
Called the New York Subway Hoard, this stash of elusive coins was amassed by George Shaw, a 1940s coin dealer. Located in New York City, Shaw had many sources for coins, including NYC Transit Authority workers. The subway took in many coins daily, and workers had access to thousands. After the hoard purchase in 1996, Littleton's coin buyers opened the vault and discovered Type I 1916 Standing Liberty quarters, 1916-D Mercury dimes, 1896-S Barber quarters, and that was just the beginning. Vermont Yankee Hoard
A. K. Miller and his wife Imogene lived a life of Yankee frugality in their home in East Orange, Vermont. Imogene fashioned raincoats from plastic bags, and A. K. rode a 1903 bicycle with patched tires.But when they died, a fortune in cars, antiques, silver coins, and gold and silver ingots was discovered hidden in buildings and beneath the schoolhouse floor on the property. In the fall of 1996, Littleton purchased first-year Uncirculated 1878-S Morgans, seldom-seen $500 and $1000 Federal Reserve Notes, and the rare Miss Drury token. This became known as the Vermont Yankee Hoard.
Midwest Megahoard
Near the end of 1998, Littleton bought the largest coin hoard ever. Dubbed the Midwest MegaHoard, it held 1.7 million Indian Head cents and Liberty and Buffalo nickels, weighed 7.6 tons, and would stretch 21.7 miles if the coins were placed side by side. This stash was hidden in the walls of a Midwest collector's house. Filling canvas sacks and 55-gallon drums, the coins in this hoard had been off the streets, out of circulation, since the 1950s & '60s. According to American Coin Treasures and Hoards by numismatist Q. David Bowers, the Midwest MegaHoard surpassed prior records by a long shot.[image shows David Sundman with Megahoard Bags]
Links to Other Coin Lenses
Coin Collecting Help
We have a few different lenses designed to teach you about coin collecting, coins and the coin hobby in general. Please check out the links below!
- Littleton Coin Company Home
- Of course, we have to add a plug to our retail site, LittletonCoin.com. It's a great place to find coins and accessories to help you with your collection! We also have a large amount of helpful coin information.
- Littleton Coin Squidoo Page
- This is the Littleton Coin Company Squidoo page, with fun polls, interesting articles and more! You can also find all of our lenses listed on this page!
- How to Collect Coins
- This lens will teach you all about coin collecting ... with help from Littleton Coin Company's experts!
- Guide to US Coinage
- Littleton Coin's guide to United States coinage outlines the major design types of U.S. coins by denomination and date of issue.
- A-Z Coin Glossary
- Ever wonder what the difference between Proof and Uncirculated is? Find out this and more on our Coin Glossary page!
- Guide to US Coin Grading
- Learn all about the nuances of Grading US Coins and the strict internal standards to which Littleton adheres.
- All About US Mints
- Learn all about 8 US Mints that are producing or produced some of the most famous and well-known coins!
by SamDube_LCC
My name is Sam Dube, and I work at Littleton Coin Company. We know a large number of people would like to learn more about collecting, but don't know... (more)
