When gangsters Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed in 1934, they left behind a car-full of possessions that proved to be a treasure chest for collectors.
Among the valuables recovered and finally revealed was Bonnie Parker's Colt .38 caliber revolver, which she had taped to her inner thigh; Clyde Parker's Colt Model 1911 pistol; Bonnie's leather cosmetic case; and Clyde's gold Elgin pocket watch.
These and other valuable items were auctioned off at RR Auction's Gangsters, Outlaws, and Lawmen auction on September 30th in Littleton, NH. It was enough to draw out history buffs and gangster fanatics alike.
But it also attracted coin collectors.
A lesser-known item was among the lots at the September 30th auction. The silver coin was discovered in Clyde's blue blazer, left inside the Ford V-8 when the couple was ambushed.
It was a 1921 Morgan silver dollar – one of two found in the vehicle by Deputy Sheriff Ted Hinton.
Hinton was one of the policemen to finally take down Bonnie and Clyde on May 23, 1934. A letter from his son, Linton J. “Boots” Hinton, was included in the lot with the coin.
From Coin World:
According to Hinton's letter, “Nothing has ever been mentioned, written, or published about Clyde's jacket being in the car right after the melee that morning. Only Ted and the other five posse members were aware of the jacket … I was later made aware of the jacket.”
Still, only one of the coins found in the car was present at the auction. According to Hinton, his father had obtained both of the coins after the ambush and sold them to an antique dealer in Dallas nearly twelve years later.
A letter from Michael Kozlin, grandson to get-away-car driver Armand Castellano, said that this Dallas antique dealer sold one of the coins to Armand's cousin and a member of the Gambino family, mobster Paulie Castellano.
Armand Castellano obtained Paulie's coin in 1966, and in 1986 it was given to Kozlin. Kozlin was the one to contact Linton Hinton, curious about the coin's true origins.
This year, it ended up in auction, going for $32,400 including a 20% buyer's fee. The location and ownership of the second coin are still unknown.
The 1921 Morgan silver dollar is comparatively priced at $28 in Good 4 and $42 in Mint State 62 of Coin World's Coin Values – significantly lower than the price collectors were willing to pay. It was not given a silver grade by the auction house, but the origin of and history behind the coin may be enough for anyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment