The famous Golden Rooster that spent a half century at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks is headed for auction this summer with an estimated value up to $300,000.
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Nugget spokeswoman Lauren Garber told the Reno Gazette-Journal the 14-pound rooster sculpture made of 18-karat gold was recently removed from the hotel-casino but remains personal property of the Ascuaga family. The Nugget was sold to a private investment group last year.
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The rooster is listed in the Coeur d'Alene Art Auction set for July 26 at the Peppermill. It was unveiled in the Nugget's Golden Rooster Room in May 1958.
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Federal agents charged the casino two years later with violating a law prohibiting individuals from possessing more than 50 ounces of gold unless it was deemed art. A federal jury in Carson City determined in 1960 it qualified.
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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com  (AP)
