A century-old, previously unreported $1 gold coin collection assembled by Henry Chapman, a legendary Philadelphia dealer, has been revealed by New York City’s Matador Rare Coins, writes Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for COINage Magazine.

The nearly complete date set of 19th-century $1 denomination gold coins was stored in a bank vault and safe deposit boxes in Philadelphia until recently. The once concealed collection consists of 51 Liberty Head and Indian Princess Head dollars that were made between 1849 and 1889. It also contains eight U.S. commemorative gold dollars made in the early decades of the 20th century.

The coin set is described as The Henry Chapman Collection of $1 Gold. It has been securely stored by a Philadelphia-area family for nearly a century. The family believed that their ancestors’ coins could be worth around $50,000, but they have now been insured for $2 million.

“Chapman personally began assembling this collection for a banking family in 1899 and the coins have remained in the family’s possession continuously for generations,” said Luis Martinez, founder and president of Matador Rare Coins.

All of the coins in the collection have been certified by the Professional Coin Grading Service.

Read more about the coins that make up The Henry Chapman Collection in COINage Magazine.

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