Santa Clara Expo Hosts Historic 1879 Quintuple Stella

One of the four known examples of the 1879 Quintuple Stella/Metric Double Eagle gold coins will be publicly exhibited for the first time in Northern California during the Santa Clara Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, July 21 - 24, 2005, in the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway.

The Santa Clara show also will offer pre-registration and auction lot viewing services in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association convention that will be held the following weekend in San Francisco, according to Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

“In addition to a special exhibit of the Quintuple Stella and our regular Santa Clara line up including another outstanding Elite Coin Auction by Superior Galleries of Beverly Hills, California, we’ll help dealers and collectors save time prior to the ANA convention. ANA representatives will have a booth at the Santa Clara Expo to distribute pre-registration packets,” explained Gillio.

“Heritage Galleries, the official auctioneer for the ANA convention, will show auction lots at the Santa Clara Expo for their Signature and Bullet sales. So will Bowers and Merena, and American Numismatic Rarities, for their respective sales prior to the ANA convention in San Francisco.”

eBay, a co-sponsor of the Santa Clara Expo, will present two educational seminars for collectors and dealers, “Buying & Selling on eBay,” conducted by Troy Thoreson. He will present the seminars at Noon on both Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23.

Other educational seminars include ancient coins specialist David Michaels of Freeman & Sear presenting, “Arms and the Man,” on Friday at 11 a.m.; Rick Montgomery of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation discusses, “The Benefits of Grading” on Friday at 4 p.m.; and Al Lowe presents, “Hawaiian Money and Medals,” on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

“Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Professional Coin Grading Services will offer on-site grading services at Santa Clara, and representatives of the United States Mint’s San Francisco branch will attend to meet with collectors and sell proof sets and other Mint products,” said Gillio.

“The Quintuple Stella that will be exhibited for the first time in Northern California is one of the most famous of all United States pattern coins. Only four specimens struck in gold are known. One of them is in The Smithsonian Collection and the other valued today at more than $1 million, will be displayed during the first three days of the Santa Clara Expo,” said Gillio.

The coin once was part of the legendary Eliasberg Collection. It is graded NGC Proof-64 and will be exhibited courtesy of Steven L. Contursi of Rare Coin Wholesalers.

The Metric Double Eagle was produced in 1879 at the suggestion of John A. Kasson, the U.S. Minister to Austria and a former Iowa Congressman. He proposed a system of U.S. coinage to compete in weight and size in international trade with widely circulated coins produced by Austria, France, Holland, Italy and Spain. In addition to the four gold specimens, eight or nine pattern Quintuple Stellas made of copper or gold-plated copper survive today.

A children’s treasure hunt will be conducted at the Santa Clara Expo between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Saturday, April 2, and a gold coin door prize will be awarded each day of the four-day show.

Public hours are Thursday, July 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, July 22 and 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, July 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is $4 (good for all four days). Free parking is available at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway.

The Expo is co-sponsored by the Cupertino Coin Club and in conjunction with the American Stamp Dealers Summer 2005 Postage Stamp Show.

For additional information about the Santa Clara Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, contact Expos Unlimited, 1103 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Phone: Prior to July 20, (805) 962-9939; July 20 - 24 call (408) 748-7055. Web: www.SantaClaraExpo.com.