Having promoted the Buttery/Hodder debate in this space we would be remiss in not mentioning it. As spectators entered the room Thursday morning "it was like a wedding," one witness said, as proponents of the opposing sides took their places on opposite sides of the room. The room was soon filled to capacity since, as one wag put it, "everyone wants to see a train wreck..."

The event was certainly a spectacle, as moderator Ed Rochette did his best to keep both the participants and the audience in line. Afterwards, one observer likened it to "a Greek Tragedy", where doom is foreshadowed from the start.

No doubt much will be written in weeks to come about the event, in The Asylum as well as the mainstream numismatic publications. Somewhere in this morass lies the numismatic truth, and someday it may rise to the surface. But it was an ugly side of human nature that rose to prominence that morning, and it was not a pleasant sight.

A number of events were set into motion which will play out over the upcoming months (or years), including the threat of a lawsuit and a generous offer to fund the large expense of scientific analysis of the disputed assay bars. This may take longer than the Gold Rush itself to completely play out...