What’s Your Recollection? 0

[VKurtB]

Subject: the “space flown” unauthorized real gold Sacagawea’s. 
 

I recall they were illegal and they were confiscated after having been flown on a Shuttle spacecraft. But what was their disposition? My faint recollection is that they are in a case at Fort Knox, along with the 10 Langbord coins now. Anyone else recall anything about their ultimate fate?

Edited October 9, 2022 by VKurtB

[FlyingAl]

I am nearly positively certain they currently reside in Fort Knox.

[Zebo]

That is my recollection as well. 

[AdamWL]

Same.

[AdamWL]

From the wikipedia page on Sac Dollars:

In 1999, the Mint struck a number of Sacagawea dollars in .9167 fine (22-karat) gold.^[37] During the initial production of the coins, they were denominated at five dollars in order to help the public distinguish them from their circulating counterparts.^[37] The plan was to sell gold versions of the coins to collectors.^[37] On March 20, this plan was halted when some Congressmen questioned the authority of Mint officials to strike the coins in a composition different from what had already been authorized.^[37] Full-scale coin production never took place even though the Mint maintained that it did have authority to do so, as the coins would be considered numismatic items and not regular-issue coins.^[37] Similar gold coins were also struck, this time bearing the denomination of one dollar and a "W" mint mark of the West Point Mint (although they were actually struck at Philadelphia).^[38][39] In total, 39 such coins were struck, twelve of which were found to be of adequate quality, while the rest were eventually destroyed.^[37] Unlike those denominated at five dollars, the one dollar pieces were "struck to commemorate the historic flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia in July 1999", according to Former Mint Director Ed Moy.^[38] The twelve surviving gold dollars were sent into space aboard Columbia on mission STS-93 in July 1999.^[38] Following the return of the shuttle, the coins were placed in storage at Fort Knox, where they remained until 2007, when they were exhibited at the American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[38] After the event, the coins were returned to Fort Knox; however, the Mint is currently planning to loan the coins to various museums throughout the country.^[37]

[VKurtB]

Interesting. Clearly the Mint needed Congressional authority to mint them as .900 or .9617 gold, and they never got it. Under current understanding, .999 would have been okay if they were marked with Troy metal weight. Just a denomination requires Congress. Milwaukee 2007 is the most recent ANA show I have NOT attended, other than the COVID canceled ones. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by VKurtB

[Henri Charriere]

@VKurtB:

To this day, owing primarily to a generational difference, I reach for my file cabinet which doubles as a newspaper's morgue.  And if the information sought is not there, I go to Plan B, which will require a trek to the appropriate repository of information.

It would not occur to me that the information may well be "at hand," accessible via the internet.

My thanks to you for bringing this little-known episode to my attention, and member AdamWL, for providing the answer.

Man, I love this place!