The Specialist | The Coin Worth More Than Its Weight in Gold, with Selby Kiffer and David Tripp

Welcome to Intelligence Squared where great minds meet. I'm head of programming Connor Boyle. Today, something a little different, we're excited to share with you a handpicked episode of a brand new series, The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. We've all heard the stories of the record-breaking works, headline-grabbing auctions and moments that shock the art world and beyond. But have you ever wondered what's happening behind the scenes?

What goes into valuing a masterpiece or who the people are really behind the gavel? The specialist brings you art's most extraordinary stories, told by the experts who witness them, in short episodes, perfect for a weekend listen. Now, over to the specialist. There was this electric charge that went through my fingers.

I was suddenly looking at not only a great work of art, but one gold ounce of irreproducible history. It is the only monetized 1933 $20 gold piece minted by the United States. This is an object that truly is unique. Sotheby's is a temporary custodian of some of the world's most rare, remarkable and coveted art and objects. This season, inspired by Sotheby's new book, Icons, published for Fydon, we explore the treasures whose journeys define not only their own histories, but the shifting story of taste, value, and culture.

We already have this episode, so unlocking it is cheap and permanent: the full transcript (16 minutes, 2,354 words), segment and word-level timestamps, and .txt, .srt, .vtt and word-level JSON downloads, as many times as you like, forever.

No account needed, we create one from your checkout email. With credits it is 1 credit; packs start at 5 episodes for $3.49, and monthly plans are cheaper still.