{"id":7321,"date":"2021-07-02T14:18:10","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T12:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thomasnumismatics.com\/?post_type=actualites&p=7321"},"modified":"2021-09-13T10:21:16","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T08:21:16","slug":"great-montana-collection","status":"publish","type":"actualites","link":"https:\/\/thomasnumismatics.com\/en\/blog\/great-montana-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Montana Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Great Montana Collection is the name given to the private treasure of an American businessman. Zollie Kelman, a seasoned numismatist, chose his coins wisely and kept them at home in his garden bomb shelter. This choice could have cost him his treasure, as he was not safe from a band of thieves determined to steal the loot. <\/p>\n\n

The Great Montana Collection: A Private Treasure <\/h2>\n\n

Zollie Kelman’s passion for collecting coins began at a young age, following a significant episode in his childhood. During the Great Depression, his family was struggling to pay the bills. When the city threatened to cut off their water, Kelman’s brother paid the $1.81 bill with Indian Head cents from his private collection. This experience left an indelible mark on Kelman. <\/p>\n\n

Once he became a wealthy businessman, Kelman never forgot where he came from and decided to pursue his passion. He owned several banks in Great Falls, Montana. During the 1950s and 1960s, he made a deal with one of the armoured car companies that transported the money. It regularly moved bags of 1,000 silver dollars from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Montana. It was agreed that the company would drop the bags off at his home during the usual route. <\/p>\n\n

When the bags arrived, he carefully laid out the coins on his kitchen table where the whole family helped with the inventory: the coins were sorted by brilliance, condition, quality and dates. He selected the most beautiful ones and exchanged them for the more common species before giving the bags back. This is how he amassed his Great Montana Collection, estimated to be worth several thousand dollars of Morgan silver. <\/p>\n\n