Did you know Stack’s Bowers Galleries
is offering the Anthony Bettencourt Collection of U.S. Colonial Coins? This collection will cross the block in Session
1 of the official auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Spring Expo, on
Wednesday, March 29. The Anthony Bettencourt Collection of colonial and
pre-federal coins comprises many pieces ranging from a 1739 Higley copper to an
Albany church penny to a high-grade 1776 Continental dollar. If early American
coins are your specialty, or you would like to add them to your interests, our
sale offers many treasures.
More on the consignor…
Anthony Bettencourt is a
veteran of Silicon Valley with more than 35 years of experience helping to
build and turn around high technology companies. He joined the cyber security
firm Imperva in August 2014 and currently serves as president, chief executive
officer, and board member. From November 2010 to March 2014 Anthony served as
chief executive officer of Coverity Inc., following that firm’s acquisition by
Synopsys, Inc. Coverity is a privately held company that develops and markets
testing solutions that assist software developers in detecting and fixing
quality and security problems. From January 2006 to October 2009, Anthony
served as Senior Vice President of Special Projects at Autonomy Corporation
plc. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Verity
Inc., an enterprise search company, and led that company through its
acquisition by Autonomy in 2005. Anthony currently serves on the boards of
directors for Formation Data Systems, Anodot, and Blinkx, Inc. Previously he
served on the boards of directors of Versant and Proof Point. Anthony holds a
B.A. in English from Santa Clara University.
Born in 1960, Anthony was
fascinated as a youth with the “wheat pennies” and wartime Jefferson nickels
that he could readily find in pocket change. He kept a small notebook listing
an “inventory” of the coins that he accumulated; he has that notebook still.
His enthusiasm for
numismatics continued through his early adult years. When introduced to United
States colonial coins he began to accumulate those that he could afford. It is
his opinion that one of the most important aspects of collecting colonial coins
is the body of literature available, from Breen to Bowers. He also enjoyed
pouring through the auction catalogs of great collections such as Garrett and
Eliasberg.
Anthony built a few small
collections that he eventually sold. He hoped one day to assemble a collection
of high grade and rare pieces. He also aspired to own a Higley copper and a
Continental dollar. Once he was in the position to make this a reality, he dove
in with the help of many. The small collection found within this catalog
represents the product of his efforts and has brought Anthony many years of
joy.
