Press Room > Press Release
Stanford Coins and Bullion To Display Rare King of Siam Coin Collection
3/22/2007
Houston, TX (March 22, 2007) – Houston-based Stanford Coins and Bullion will display the rare King of Siam coin set at a private event on Thursday, March 29. The Stanford showing will be the first time the 19th century 11-piece set, valued at a staggering $15 million, will be displayed in the state of Texas. The set includes 10 gold, silver and copper 19th century United States coins, as well as an 1833 gold medal depicting President Andrew Jackson.
Stanford Coins and Bullion, part of the Stanford Financial Group of companies, serves investors in precious metals and collectors of rare collectible coins.
According to Joe Frisard, President of Stanford Coins and Bullion, the fabled King of Siam coin set is the world’s most famous and valuable rare coin collection. It was originally presented as a diplomatic gift on behalf of President Andrew Jackson to the King of Siam (now Thailand) in 1836.
"The King of Siam coin set was not even known to still exist until the 1960s and is legendary among collectors," Frisard says. "One of the coins in the King of Siam set is a treasure of its own, an 1804-dated U.S. silver dollar. It’s one of only 15 known and is described by collectors as The King of Coins."
The set includes the original, custom-made yellow leather and blue velvet case that housed the coins when U.S. State Department envoy, Edmund Roberts, presented it during an overseas trade mission on behalf of President Jackson to King Ph'ra Nang Klao (Rama III) of Siam in April 1836. The King’s son, Rama IV, who inherited the coins, was the subject of the famous book, "Anna and the King of Siam," and the Broadway musical, "The King and I."
Frisard says the coins are still in pristine condition 170 years after their presentation to the King. They range in denomination from a copper half-cent to a $10 gold "Eagle."
"Investing in rare coins is part of an asset diversification strategy in a portfolio, as well as an opportunity to hold a piece of art – and history," Frisard says. "No other group of coins has a more absolute pedigree, or such an illustrious past. In terms of collector appeal, rarity, romance and value, this set is unparalleled."
While this rare collection is certainly not for the average investor, Frisard says the King of Siam coin set is indeed available for purchase and could easily entice a collector among the select group expected to attend Stanford’s private showing.
The King of Siam coin set was exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in 1983 and for a year at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas when it opened in 1999. It was last displayed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006.
Stanford Coins and Bullion is part of Stanford Financial Group, a privately held, wholly owned global group of financial services companies founded by Lodis B. Stanford in 1932. Stanford's core businesses are private wealth management and investment banking for institutions and emerging growth companies.
Stanford provides private and institutional investors with global expertise in asset allocation strategies, investment advisory services, equity research, international private banking and trust administration, commercial banking, investment banking, merchant banking, institutional sales and trading, real estate investment and insurance. Stanford serves clients from 126 countries on six continents. Securities products and services offered through Stanford Group Company, member NASD/SIPC. More information on the company can be found at www.stanfordfinancial.com and www.stanfordcoins.com.