NERO, A.D. 54-68. AV Aureus (7.65 gms), Rome Mint, A.D. 60-61. NGC AU, Strike: 5/5 Surface: 1/5. Ex Jewelry, Scratches & Edge Cuts. RIC-25; Calico-429. Obverse: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP, bare head right; Reverse: PONTIF MAX TR P VII COS IIII P P, Virtus standing left, with foot upon shields, holding parazonium and spear; EX - S C across field. Offering a strong portrait and solid luster, this lightly handled example serves as an exceptional and affordable representation for this emperor in gold. Its prior use as a jewelry piece is evident through some edge marks and some minor scattered marks, but do not get in the way of its strong design.emBorn in Denmark in 1841, Andrew Mason (A. M.) Smith led a rather remarkable life even without adding in his contributions to the numismatic community. After serving with the United States Navy in Brazil, he returned to the U.S. mainland at the outbreak of the Civil War, serving two enlistments-each of which saw him wounded and honorably discharged, and the latter of which saw him cited for his bravery. He then began a civilian life in the world of business, first Salt Lake City, Utah, then in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania./ememIt was there, in the city of Brotherly Love, that Smith became fascinated with the U.S. mint and, in turn, the field of numismatics. For over a decade, he dedicated a great deal of time and resources to researching and collecting, aiming to collect specimens of gold and silver coinage not just from the U.S., but from around the world and into antiquity as well. His pursuits allowed him to publish such works as.em History of the U.S. Mint, History of U.S. Coins, A History of Colonial Coinsem, and /emEncyclopedia of Gold and Silver Coins of the Worldem, as well as to serve as an editor for /emCoin Collectors Guideem and /emIllustrated Magazineem. During this time, he even became an acquaintance of A. Loudon Snowden, nephew of former mint director James Ross Snowden, who presented him with a rather elusive gift-an 1884 proof set in copper with all ten types struck, quarter dollar through double eagle. Tremendous rarities in the realm of patterns, this lends an idea to the expanse of Smiths magnificent collection./ememEver the go-getter, Smith later saw the prospects of the burgeoning northwest, moving his family and business to Minneapolis in 1886, where he would operate a delicatessen and liquor store-marketing it rather ingeniously-until prohibition would cause its closure at the beginning of the 20s. The vast majority of Smiths numismatic collection was consigned by his widow in the mid-1930s to M. H. Bolender, where specimens such as that fabled 1884 copper proof set were offered for sale. The final three remainders from his collection are now presented here, survivors of the Gold Recovery Act, as they were part of a brooch. Despite being ex jewelry, however, they also emanate from a rather important and scholarly collection formed in the early days of the coin collecting hobby in the United States. /em Ex: A. M. Smith Collection.
