At an auction (拍卖会) last Thursday, Kevin Lipton paid $2,585,000 for the Birch Cent, a made in 1792 that is its engraver (刻版师), Robert Birch. It’s the most money paid for a one-cent piece. And yes, he said, the purchase made . “It’s like our very first penny,” Lipton, 55, told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. “It’s such a(n) coin. It’s so important, so rare.”
The coin is 10 similar coins known to exist that were produced after the founding of the U.S. Mint (美国造币厂), said Jim Halperin, co-chairman of Heritage Auctions. It features a profile face Miss Liberty, framed by a motto that was later abandoned, “Liberty Parent of Science & Industry.”
Lipton, who owns a coin wholesaling business (批发业务) in Beverly Hills, had been eyeing the Birch Cent he saw it in 1981 at a New York auction house. That year, Johns Hopkins University consigned (拍卖、寄售) the penny for auction, and it was by New York City developer Donald G. Patrick $200,000. Patrick consigned the coin to Texas-based Heritage Auctions. At the Orlando auction where Lipton the Birch Cent, he bought a quarter dollar from 1792 for $2,232,500. , he paid about $4.8 million for 26 cents.
Lipton has coins since he was 12 years old, and his full-time coin business _ when he was just 17. He that he was nervous about spending so much money, but now he’s his million-dollar coins will mature. “They are a great store value, and will only be worth more ,” Lipton said. ‘‘They are Mona Lisas of our coinage.’’
A.dollar B.note C.coin D.quarter
A.designed for B.sold by C.based on D.named after
A.ever B.even C.still D.yet
A.money B.sense C.changes D.adjustments
A.special B.magical C.artificial D.beneficial
A.between B.within C.among D.of
A.experimentally B.definitely C.finally D.perfectly
A.predicting B.indicating C.representing D.suggesting
A.until B.when C.after D.since
A.sold B.purchased C.borrowed D.lent
A.by B.on C.for D.in
A.set up B.picked up C.made up D.put up
A.also B.thus C.already D.just
A.Altogether B.Anyway C.However D.Besides
A.made B.issued C.displayed D.collected
A.started B.decreased C.failed D.progressed
A.concluded B.declared C.admitted D.swore
A.cautious B.confused C.committed D.confident
A.in the past B.in the future C.for the moment D.at the time
A.merely B.actually C.temporarily D.probably