Showing posts with label million. Show all posts
Showing posts with label million. Show all posts
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Friday, October 4, 2013
Rare gold coin sells for $2.75 million at auction
The 1880 Coiled Hair Stella is one of the rarest known coins in the world (Bonhams)
An extremely rare coin sold for $2.75 million during an auction on Monday, greatly exceeding expectations and making it one of the all-time biggest such sales in U.S. history.
Mining.com reports that the “Coiled Hair Stella” coin was minted in 1880 featuring a profile image of Lady Liberty. The coin contains about six grams of pure gold and was never released into circulation. On the back of the coin an inscription reads, “ONE STELLA” and “400 CENTS.”
"The 1880 $4 Coiled Hair Stella is one of the so-called white whales of the coin collecting world. They are so rare, they come on the market maybe once or twice, at most, every decade," Paul Song, director of rare coins at Bonhams, which auctioned the coin in Los Angeles, told Reuters.
“They are so rare, they come on the market maybe once or twice, at most, every decade,” Song said. “That particular gold coin, there's only 10 or 12 now, and most of these are in public institutions or private collections.”
The $2.75 million selling price is reportedly more than 66.6 percent higher than earlier estimates and places it in the top 10 of all-time U.S. gold coin sales.
Three other Stellas were sold at the same auction, though were of slightly different designs are were considered less valuable, according to Numismatic News. The entire 27-coin collection was worth an estimated $8 million before auction.
“That may not be a Monet painting, but in my world, that’s pretty amazing,” Song told Reuters.
Fox News adds that the coin was designed by former United States Mint engraver George T. Morgan. The idea at the time was for the U.S. to have its own international coinage in order to improve trade with European nations. And while Congress voted against approving the coin, an estimated 12 to15 sample coins were still produced.
“Few collectors have ever seen one, let alone had the chance to own such a numismatic treasure,” explains auction site Stack’s Bowers. “It has been years since a Coiled Hair Stella appeared for sale, and this one is as beautiful as it is rare, with nice cameo contrast nicely complementing the superb aesthetic quality. In short, it would be virtually impossible to replace the quality and rarity seen here, and it may be years before another Coiled Hair Stella is offered.”
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
South Carolina man who won nearly $400 million jackpot withholds name
By Harriet McLeod
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - The winner of a nearly $400 million Powerball jackpot has declined to be named, lottery officials said on Monday, but they said the winner who lives near Columbia, South Carolina, told them he bought the ticket while on a mission to buy hot dog buns.
The man stopped at a gasoline station in central South Carolina after his wife asked him to pick up the hot dog buns, but after finding they had none, he bought $20 of Powerball tickets instead, the officials said.
His big win late on Wednesday - the fourth-largest prize in the lottery's history - occurred on just the second time he had purchased tickets, the man told lottery officials.
"This is a life changing event - there are a lot of zeros in this money," Paula Harper Bethea, executive director of the South Carolina Education Lottery, had said last week while the winner remained unknown.
When he came forward on Monday afternoon, the man, who asked not be identified, told lottery officials that he was home alone when he discovered on Thursday that he won. He spun around repeatedly in his kitchen and told only his little dog about his good fortune, lottery officials said.
The man can claim his full prize of $399.4 million paid over 29 years or opt for a more immediate cash payout of $233 million, officials said.
For the state of South Carolina, the jackpot win means an additional $15 million in tax revenue, officials said. The lottery benefits education in the state, they said.
Murphy USA gasoline station in Lexington, South Carolina, where the man bought the machine-generated winning ticket on Wednesday afternoon will be rewarded $50,000 for its role, lottery officials said.
Powerball prizes have been getting larger, in part because the ticket price rose to $2 from $1 in January, and because California, the most populous U.S. state, joined in April.
Powerball is played in 43 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Chances of winning the big prize are 1 in 175 million, the lottery said.
The largest Powerball jackpot was $590.5 million, won by a Florida woman in May. Ticket holders in New Jersey and Minnesota shared a $448 million jackpot in August.
The amounts paid to the winners were substantially smaller because they chose cash over an annuity.
(The story refiles to restore dropped word to headline)
(Editing by Scott Malone, Barbara Goldberg and Ken Wills)
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Czech police seize 1 million liters of illegal booze
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech police found a million liters of illegal alcohol hidden in underground tanks in one of the biggest seizures of untaxed booze ever.
Police have been chasing a widespread web of untaxed alcohol makers and distributors since a batch that included poisonous methyl alcohol killed 45 people and forced the government to ban all liquor sales for several weeks in September last year.
A spokesman said officers found the illicit booze at several unused industrial sites around the steel-making and mining center of Ostrava, in the eastern Czech Republic near Polish and Slovak borders, and at a site near the northern German border.
"Under the floors, in some places under a two-meter layer of cement and rubble, tanks with illegal ethanol were found," the police said in a statement.
Video footage showed officers and firemen using an earth mover, pneumatic drill and steel cutters to reveal the storage places.
Tax evasion from the sale of the booze would amount to about 12 million euros ($15.45 million), the police said.
The Czech Republic is one of Europe's heaviest drinking countries, and the world's leader in per-capita beer consumption of around 140 liters per year. Hard alcohol made from flavored ethanol is widely available in bars, stores and market kiosks, and popular especially among poorer Czechs.
Industry experts have estimated illegal liquor make up 15-25 percent of the market.
Police said they have not charged anyone in relation with the case yet. Last year, dozens of people were charged when police traced poisonous illicit alcohol to producers.
($1 = 0.7769 euros)
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka, editing by Paul Casciato)
Friday, May 24, 2013
Winning ticket for $590.5 million Powerball lottery sold in Florida
By Brendan O'Brien
(Reuters) - A single winning ticket for a record Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million was sold in Florida, organizers said late on Saturday, but there was no immediate word about who won one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history.
The winning numbers from Saturday night's drawing were: 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball number of 11. The odds of winning were put at 1 in 175 million.
The winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, a suburb of Tampa, according to the Florida Lottery.
The winner or winners had not come forward as of Sunday morning, said Connie Barnes, a Florida Lottery spokeswoman. The winning ticket holder's name will become part of the public record because a check will be made out to the winner, but that person or persons need not appear in public to acknowledge the prize, Barnes said.
The grand prize, accumulated after two months of drawings, surpassed the previous record Powerball payoff of $587.5 million set in November 2012.
The largest jackpot in U.S. history stands at $656 million, won in the Mega Millions lottery of March 2012. That prize was split between winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.
The Multi-State Lottery Association, based in Iowa, announced the Powerball results in a brief message on its website, saying, "There was one winner sold by the Florida Lottery for the last drawing's $590,500,000 grand prize."
The extremely long odds of winning did not deter people from buying tickets at staggering rates. California was selling $1 million in tickets every hour on Saturday, said Donna Cordova, a spokeswoman for the California Lottery, which has only been selling Powerball tickets since April 8.
The $2 tickets allow players to pick five numbers from 1 to 59, and a Powerball number from 1 to 35.
(Additional reporting by Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas, and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles.; Editing by Daniel Trotta, Christopher Wilson and Cynthia Osterman)
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Powerball jackpot could go higher than $600 million
By Karen Brooks
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Powerball jackpot Saturday night could exceed the $600 million figure being advertised, possibly rivaling the largest lottery payoff in U.S. history, a Texas Lottery official said on Saturday.
"Oftentimes, the advertised amount is lower than what the actual jackpot ends up being," said Kelly Cripe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Lottery. "It's entirely possible this $600 million jackpot will end up being a bigger jackpot."
Chances of winning the Powerball on Saturday were one in 175 million, Cripe said, but that did not deter people from buying up tickets at staggering rates. California was selling $1 million in tickets every hour on Saturday, said Donna Cordova, a spokeswoman for the California Lottery, which has only been selling Powerball tickets since April 8.
Texas Lottery officials reported $1.2 million in hourly sales between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time, with ticket sales for the Saturday draw topping $18.4 million.
The ticket sale rate on Saturday was nearly double Friday's rate, Cripe said, and a jump of some 686 percent over last Saturday.
The Powerball lottery, which has not had a winner in two months, is offered in 43 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A Powerball lottery record was set in November with a $587.5 million jackpot that topped the $550 million figure that was advertised, thanks to last-minute sales.
The largest jackpot in U.S. history was the $656 million in the Mega Millions lottery in March 2012. That prize was split between winners in Maryland, Kansas and Illinois.
If Saturday's Powerball drawing yields no winner, all records will be shattered as the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing would go to $925 million.
Many Americans were playing the "if I win" game ahead of Saturday's drawing.
"If I win, I'm going to spend a lot of it on liquor, women and gambling," said Austin lawyer Donald Dickson. "I'll likely squander the rest of it."
In New York City, talent acquisition agent Michelle Amici was more philanthropic.
"Not sure that I'd buy anything," she said. "Rather, I'd attempt to quench my wanderlust by traveling the world. I'd also donate a large portion to education reform."
Lottery players such as Austin marketing professional Becky Arreaga was not discouraged by the long odds.
"As long as the odds are 1 in anything, I'm in," said Arreaga, a partner at Mercury Mambo marketing firm. "I truly believe I could be the one."
"It's only a couple bucks for a small daydream," said Russell Williams, 35, a salesman in Austin, Texas.
Bonnie Carreno of El Paso, Texas, rarely plays but was taking a chance on this one. "I only ever buy a ticket when I see the amazing numbers in the headlines," she said.
The $2 tickets allow players pick five numbers from 1 to 59, and a Powerball number from 1 to 35. The numbers will be drawn Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT (0259 GMT on Sunday) in Tallahassee, Florida.
(Reporting by Karen Brooks; Editing by Greg McCune, Doina Chiacu and Bill Trott)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Woman accidentally buys winning $14 million lotto ticket
File photo of lottery ticket (Thinkstock)A single mother of four sons accidentally purchased an extra lottery ticket. Another dollar down the drain? Nope.
Thuan Le told NBCLosAngeles.com that she normally she buys $4 worth of Powerball tickets and one $1 SuperLotto Plus ticket.
This time, Le accidentally put an extra buck into the self-service machine, purchasing another SuperLotto Plus ticket.
It was—no doubt—the smartest mistake she ever made. NBCLosAngeles.com reports that Le plans to use the $14 million windfall to buy a home, travel and visit relatives in Vietnam.
One of her sons told Lotto officials that he and others thought Le was joking after she called to tell them the good news, according to ABC News.
"We thought she was joking," her son said, "but we thought, would she really joke like this? My older brother said, 'Yes, she would.'"
Le’s (very) lucky numbers were 5, 33, 25, 46 and 32. The Mega number was 26.
According to the California Lottery's official site, the odds of getting all five numbers and the Mega bonus number on the SuperLotto Plus are 1 in 41,416,353.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Chinese Bowl found at garage sale fetches over $ 2.2 million at auction
By Clare Hutchison London (Reuters)-ten dresses worn by Princess Diana ended, including a velvet, Midnight-blue dress that famously danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985, recovered more than $ 1.2 million at an auction in London on Tuesday. The creation of Victor Edelstein worn at the gala dinner of the United States was the top lot of the sale, held by fashion specialist Kerry Taylor auctions, sell for $ 362,470, within pre-sale estimates. ...
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