Space Flown 22 Karat Gold 2000-W Pattern Sacagawea Dollar. Judd-2190 (J. Hewitt Judd, United States Pattern Coins, 10th edition, 2009). Rarity-7. 1 of Only 7 Available for Public Ownership. Proof-69 Deep Cameo (PCGS).It is a universal human experience to gaze up at the night sky and wonder what lies beyond the stars. For a few brief days in July 1999, these historic 22 Karat gold Sacagawea dollars flew among those stars-traveling nearly 2 million miles in orbit-and have returned to tell the tale. With only seven available for private ownership, these coins have been ranked #5 among the Top 100 Modern Coins (according to PCGS), and their very existence has become the stuff of numismatic legend.
Like all of humankinds greatest treasures, these coins deliver a compelling combination of rarity, historic significance, and mystery. They were originally struck to promote the new Sacagawea dollar coin and to commemorate the first space shuttle flight to be commanded by a woman, USAF Col. (ret.) Eileen Collins. These solid-gold rarities embody the achievements of these two pioneering women including the first transcontinental visit to the Pacific and the first woman to steer America into space.
Philip N. Diehl, former Director of the United States Mint, said at the time that "Commander Collins is carrying on the tradition of women trailblazers, and we cant imagine a better way to honor Sacagaweas legacy."
Since returning from orbit, they have been securely held at the Fort Knox Bullion Depository for nearly three decades, further adding to their mystique. The only other coin held by the United States Government in Fort Knox which was later made available for sale went on to become the most valuable coin in the world-the Farouk 1933 Saint Gaudens $20 that sold for $7.59 million in our July 2002 auction.
As part of an initial mintage of 39 pieces produced in 22 Karat gold, these space flown coins were struck in a Proof finish on specially prepared 1/2 ounce gold planchets originally intended for the American Eagle bullion coin series. Despite the "W" mintmark for West Point, some evidence points to the fact that the coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in order to meet the accelerated timeline for getting the coins abroad the Shuttle mission.
As the very first incarnation of the new Sacagawea design, these are considered to be pattern or prototype coins and have been assigned the pattern variety Judd-2190. They are the only collectible gold patterns struck after the 19th century, and even the most elite collectors in this category never envisioned a time when they would be available for private ownership-until now.
They were struck with the prototype "engraved tailfeathers" reverse design which is shared with the coveted "Cheerios" variety of Sacagawea dollar. This special reverse design was used on only the very first coins struck in the series and was quickly modified to a less detailed design shortly after production for circulation began.
Furthermore, they are the only Federally-issued U.S. coins to be struck exclusively for spaceflight. While other coins have traveled into space-including the famous "space penny" 1793 Wreath Cent Stacks Bowers Galleries sold for $82,250 in May 2015-no others were produced specifically with orbit in mind.
Not since 1922 had the U.S. Mint struck a one dollar coin in gold, and not since 1889 had it issued this composition for circulation. Several generations of collectors were born, collected, and died without ever having the chance to acquire a new dollar coin struck in gold. And no one has ever had the chance to acquire a U.S. Mint coin struck specifically for spaceflight.
Much like the 1804 Draped Bust silver dollars, these coins were specially produced in small numbers as a symbol of American ideals and accomplishment, and bear a date that does not match the actual year of their production.
Much like the 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20, the majority of these coins were melted; those that survived were eventually safeguarded in Fort Knox.
The 1913 Liberty Head nickels offer the greatest similarity to these pieces in their rarity-only five known-their razor-sharp Proof finish, and their transitional status bridging two different design types.
These space flown 22 Karat gold dollars are the most modern entry into this canon, but their youth should not preclude their recognition as true American treasures. They celebrate some of the most crucial elements that have enabled our countrys success: trailblazing explorers, space-age technology, and gold. If one were to select a single coin to own that embodies Americas greatness, this would be it.
When one of the original 39 gold examples-a non space flown coin-was displayed at a private congressional dinner on August 5, 1999, the numismatic press indicated 7- it was estimated at "approximately $1 million." Had this been one of the coins returned from orbit, we wonder how many times higher that estimate would have been.
Only the 12 best strikes in 22 Karat gold were selected for flight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, and the remaining 27 Sacagawea coins were destroyed. Of the dozen survivors, only these seven will be available for public ownership. <em><strong>The United States Mint has confirmed that the remaining five coins will be archived in their heritage collection and other public institutions and permanently out of reach for collectors.</strong></em> Each of the coins in this auction will also be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and Monetization featuring the signature of Acting Mint Director Kristie McNally.
These pieces, which until now have never been issued as coinage, will only become monetized as legal tender upon their sale. The final auction price for each coin will include $1 to account for the face value of the newly monetized coin. The same monetization requirement was applied to the Farouk 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 double eagle as part of our 2002 auction, resulting in an exact selling price of $7,590,020. Much like that offering, this sale is sure to be a landmark event across several categories- offering world-class treasures for the most elite collectors of numismatics, aviation, space flight, and the most historic American artifacts.
<strong>The Susan B. Anthony Dollar</strong>
The story of these bespoke space flown gold coins actually began a few decades earlier with the release of the Susan B. Anthony dollar series in 1979. Susan B. Anthony was a pivotal social reformer and womens rights activist whose work during the mid 19th century supported abolition and laid the groundwork for the eventual passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which officially granted women the right to vote. This is often referred to as the "Susan B. Anthony Amendment."
Like the Eisenhower dollar it replaced, the Susan B. Anthony dollar was remarkable for featuring an actual historical figure instead of a symbolic representation of Liberty as was depicted on dollar coins since the original Flowing Hair silver dollars in 1794. The obverse portrait was designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, who also designed the lunar scene on the reverse, which was adapted from the Apollo 11 insignia. This reverse design was carried over from the earlier Eisenhower dollar, providing some thematic continuity for the denomination.
The small format of the Susan B. Anthony dollar was also a radical departure from the larger format that had been used for dollar coins by the United State Mint for nearly two centuries. This reduced size was intended to be more practical for circulation as well as a cost saving measure. At the time, Mint Director Stella Hackel suggested that replacing half of the one dollar currency notes with these smaller coins would save approximately $19 million annually.
Despite initial excitement, these coins failed to gain wide acceptance for circulation as many found that their size and color made them easily confused with the Washington quarter. Production for circulation ended after just two years in 1980, and the remaining large surplus was placed into Treasury vaults for storage. A sizable mintage was also produced in 1981 only for sale to collectors.
Over the following two decades, this reserve inventory of Susan B. Anthony dollars was slowly depleted as usage increased for stamp dispensing machines and other vending machines. It eventually became clear that it would be necessary to strike more dollar coins to meet demand. As a stopgap measure, an "emergency" mintage of over 80 million Susan B. Anthony dollars was struck in 1999 while its successor was finalized.
<strong>A New Dollar for a New Millenium</strong>
Determined to avoid the design pitfalls that hampered the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the United States $1 Coin Act of 1997 specified that the new coin "shall be golden in color, have a distinctive edge, have tactile and visual features that make the denomination of the coin readily discernible." This bold golden color was accomplished by a coating of manganese-brass alloy over a pure copper core that was electromagnetically similar to the outgoing Anthony dollar-an important feature for vending machine usage.
The now-iconic obverse design by Glenna Goodacre features a portrait of Sacagawea, the young Shoshone woman who assisted the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the Northern Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean and back from 1804 to 1806. On her back is her infant son, Jean Baptiste, with whom she was pregnant when the journey first began. The reverse displays a design by Thomas D. Rogers of a bald eagle in flight, a symbolic hallmark of American coinage which represents freedom, strength, and peace.
Excited about the prospects of this new dollar design, the United States Mint planned a first-strike ceremony for November 1999 and began considering other ways to celebrate this new beginning.
<strong>A Special Striking at the United States Mint</strong>
At the same time as the Sacagawea dollar was being finalized, a similarly historic milestone was underway at NASA and the Space Shuttle program. Scheduled for July 1999 was the 26th flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia-mission name STS-93.
This mission was notable for, among other things, being the very first space shuttle flight to be commanded by a female-USAF Col. (ret.) Eileen Collins. The United States Mint understood that this mission would echo the same themes as the forthcoming Sacagawea dollar-both celebrating women who guided mankind into a new era of exploration and progress.
To commemorate this historic shuttle mission, the United States Mint produced a special mintage of the forthcoming Sacagawea dollar in 22 Karat gold to be carried into orbit. A total of 39 coins were produced in June 1999, struck in a Proof finish on specially prepared 1/2 ounce gold planchets originally intended for the American Eagle bullion coin series. While the coins bear the "W" mintmark for West Point, it has been suggested that they were more likely struck at the Philadelphia Mint due to the expedited production demands leading up to the shuttle flight. Since they were among the first dollars of the Sacagawea design produced, they bear the prototype "engraved tailfeathers" reverse design which is shared with the "Cheerios" variety of Sacagawea dollar. The reverse motif was modified with less detail shortly after circulation production was started and, thus, only the very first coins struck in the series feature the "engraved tailfeathers."
Of the 39 coins produced in 22 Karat gold, only 18 were deemed "acceptable" and the remainder were soon melted. From that 18, the 12 very best strikes were selected for flight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia; the remaining six were held in Mint vaults and eventually were also destroyed.
Daniel S. Goldin, Administrator of NASA, remarked that it was "an excellent opportunity to showcase the pioneering spirit and remarkable achievements of American women, spanning nearly two centuries."
<strong>Space Shuttle Columbia Flight STS-93 and Commander Eileen Collins</strong>
Flight STS-93 of the Space Shuttle Columbia was always poised to be a historic one. The primary goal of this mission was to deliver the Chandra X-ray Observatory into orbit, which was a 50,000 pound telescope that was to be the heaviest payload ever carried by the Space Shuttle. History, however, will always remember STS-93 for Eileen Collins groundbreaking command. Collins had proven herself over a long career as one of the most accomplished and talented pilots across a wide range of aircraft at both the Air Force and NASA. She was the first female to pilot a Space Shuttle on STS-63 in 1995, and had already spent over 400 hours in space leading up to STS-93. Flight STS-93 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 23, 1999 with a crew of just five astronauts including Commander Eileen Collins at the helm.
Over the course of almost five days, Space Shuttle Columbia would complete 80 orbits of the earth and travel nearly 1.8 million miles through the cosmos, successfully deploying the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Along for this historic ride was an unassuming but very precious cargo-12 special Sacagawea Dollars struck in 22 Karat gold.
<strong>Back on Earth and into Fort Knox</strong>
The Space Shuttle Columbia touched down at the Kennedy Space Center on July 28, 1999, marking a successful and historic mission. Upon their return to earth, these 12 coins remained in the custody of NASA at least until August 12 but were shortly thereafter transferred to the vaults of the United States Mint headquarters in Washington, D.C., reuniting with the other six 22 Karat gold dollars. One of these six gold dollars-a non space flown coin-was displayed at the aforementioned private congressional dinner on August 5, and it was later published by the numismatic press that it was estimated at "approximately $1 million." However, by August 12, this and the other five non space flown coins had also been melted.
In late August or early September 1999, the 12 survivors were transported to the Fort Knox Bullion Depository in Kentucky, which they would call home for the next two and a half decades. Interestingly, the famous 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 double eagle from the Farouk Collection had been transferred there for safekeeping only a few months earlier-a coin that would shortly sell for $7.59 million in our 2002 auction.
These space flown gold dollars have since remained well hidden in Fort Knox and out of the public eye with just a couple exceptions. One of the coins was displayed at the Philadelphia Mint for the first-strike ceremony of the circulating Sacagawea dollars on November 18, 1999. All 12 of the coins were displayed in August 2007 at the American Numismatic Associations Worlds Fair of Money® in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They were unveiled by then Mint Director Ed Moy who praised them as "unique historic artifacts." This was to be the first and only time these pieces were exhibited together in public; they were swiftly returned to Fort Knox at the end of the coin convention. And there they remained, hidden within the vaults of gold containing an estimated current value of nearly $500 billion dollars.
This auction offering marks not only the first time that the coins have emerged from Fort Knox in two decades, but also the first time that collectors have ever had the opportunity to acquire one-an opportunity that may not recur for several decades or even a generation. This landmark event is sure to confirm their status as truly historic treasures and some of the most important and exciting American numismatic rarities.
PCGS# 508062.
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