CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire-based coin dealer has acquired a 5-ton stash of more than 220,000 rare Eisenhower $1 coins that were tucked away in a Montana bank vault for more than 30 years.
Littleton Coin Co. has not disclosed the price, but it said Monday that the coins, most in sealed canvas bags from the U.S. Mint in Denver, are worth more than $1 million. Littleton plans to start offering them for sale next year.
The coins were shipped from the U.S. Mint during the 1970s to a Federal Reserve bank. A Montana man who does not want his name released bought and stored them in a local bank in Helena, where they sat until several months ago.
The “Ike” coins were minted from 1971 until 1978. The front shows President Dwight Eisenhower, who died in 1969, and the back commemorates man’s first steps on the moon, also that year.
The coins themselves were not widely circulated, said Ken Westover, senior buyer for the 66-year-old coin company in northern New Hampshire.
“Because this coin was so large and heavy, it was considered inconvenient to carry around in your pocket,” Westover said.
“They haven’t been handled a lot,” Westover said. “The overall quality of these coins is quite nice.”
John Hennessey, vice president of marketing for Littleton, estimated the price range per coin will be from $10 to more than several hundred dollars, depending on their condition.
