1836 Classic Head Quarter Eagle, PR65+ Deep Cameo, Only Collectible Example With the Second Head of 1837, JD-1
DALLAS, Texas — Hobby-changing discoveries of World and U.S. coins paced Heritage Auctions' late April Chicago Coin Expo (CCE) & Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS) auctions to $38,150,247, registering a 99 percent sell-through rate by value and lot for U.S. Coins.
"It's no exaggeration this season's auction offered some of the most important discoveries and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to own some of the rarest coins known to exist," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "As expected, the hobby didn't ignore the opportunities and we saw spirited bidding across every numismatic collecting category."
With offerings spanning United States, World and Ancient coins, and World and U.S. currency, the April 26 through May 2 auctions delivered stunning, six-figure sale prices across every category.
Pedigree and Rarity Pushes U.S. Coins to $20,981,477
The selection of U.S. Coins included an 1836 Classic Head Quarter Eagle — a rare proof specimen carrying the most illustrious pedigree of all of the estimated seven examples known — that sold for $396,000. The new owner of the PR65+ Deep Cameo, PCGS Secure. CAC., may now add their name alongside those of famous numismatists Lorin G. Parmelee, John Mills, William H. Woodin and Louis Eliasberg, Sr., among others, who owned the piece during its 182-year history.
The extraordinary 1915-S Panama-Pacific Round Fifty Dollar Gold Piece sparked lively bidding, which pushed the auction price to $336,000. One of the most memorable lots in the sale was an 1854-S Quarter Eagle, VF35 PCGS, which sold for $264,000, a branch mint gold rarity being one of only 12 specimens left of its kind.
An 1883 Liberty Double Eagle, PR64 Deep Cameo, one of 26 examples certified from the small proof-only mintage of 92 pieces, closed at $204,000, and a matte proof 1911 Ten Dollar Indian, PR67 PCGS Secure. CAC., one of only 95 examples struck, proved irresistible to bidders as it sold for $192,000, a signal that demand for matte proofs of the iconic Saint-Gaudens gold shows no signs of cooling any time soon.
Additional top prices for U.S. Coins include:
· $180,000 - 1796/5 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle, MS62 PCGS Secure. CAC., the earliest gold overdate with provenance to the Eliasberg collection.
· $168,000 - 1797 O-102 Draped Bust Half Dollar, AU55+, PCGS Secure., the second finest recorded in numismatist Jon Amato's exhaustive census of the 3,918 coins produced.
· $144,000 - 1796 Quarter Draped Bust, MS62 PCGS Secure, a proof-like example of the 6,146 struck.
U.S. Discovery of 1666 Norway Speciedaler Leads World & Ancient Coins to $8,536,282
Recently discovered in Maryland, a 1666 3 Speciedaler of Frederik III of Norway, sold for $432,000 to claim top-lot honors among more than 4,000 World and Ancient coin offerings. Until this example surfaced, this date was presumed unique in this denomination, the only known specimen purchased in 1831 and forming part of the Royal Collection in the National Museum of Copenhagen.
A Golden Jubilee 11-Piece Proof Set, NGC, issued in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's 50 years on the throne, sold for $156,000. The set is an extraordinary offering, unmatched in previous auction records.
Two among the earliest Mexican gold coins struck, 1680 Charles II Gold Cob 4 Escudos — the earliest known 4 Escudos — sold for $84,000. The illustrated example for the type in Calico's standard reference Numismática Española, the gold coin is one of the rarest types in the Mexican colonial gold series and of great historical importance with provenance from the Isaac Rudman Numismatic Cabinet. A 1709 Philip V gold Cob 8 Escudos, MS63 NGC, sold for $56,400.
An iconic 1812 Bon Pour Deux Sous Token, PR65 NGC, linked to Lower Canada, made a rare auction appearance and ultimately sold for $50,400. The piece is presumed to be a pattern for a proposed coinage or a salesman's sample, but is one of one of four examples that exist.
A contemporary piece from the British Royal Mint, a 2005 Elizabeth II gold "Prince Harry 21st Birthday" 1,000 Pounds, Gem Proof, struck for the Prince's 21st birthday, sold for $46,800, while a 1642 Charles I gold Triple Unite, XF Details (Repaired) NGC, traded hands for $45,600.
Serial Number One Notes Drive U.S. and World Currency to $8,632,488
Currency collectors zeroed in on true "number one notes" (those with the unique and highly collectible Serial No. 1) offered among the more than 5,000 lots of U.S. and World Currency auctioned during CSNS.
A Serial Number 1 $20 1891 Treasury Note PCGS Very Fine 35 sold for $114,000, and a Serial Number 1 1891 $5 Treasury Note PCGS New 62, courtesy autographed by John Burke, Treasurer of the United States appointed in 1913 by President Woodrow Wilson, sold for $102,000. A 1918 $10 Federal Reserve Bank Note PCGS Very Choice New 64PPQ sporting Serial No. 1, sold for $87,600.
A spectacular, fully colored $500 1922 Gold Certificate PCGS About New 53 displaying simply delightful eye appeal, sold for $90,000. Speaking of eye appeal, a stately 1880 $100 Black Back Silver Certificate, PMG Very Fine 30 — one of only 25 known to exist — sold for $87,000. The coveted note is well known among collectors for its overly large portrait of President James Monroe and the bold printing of the words "SILVER CERTIFICATE" on the reverse.
Additional top U.S. Currency highlights include:
· $78,000 - 1863 $100 Legal Tender, PMG Choice Very Fine 35 Net, in the iconic "Spread Eagle" design
· $78,000 - 1862 $50 Legal Tender PCGS Very Fine 30, with a handsome portrait of Alexander Hamilton
· $66,000 — 1929 $100 Federal Reserve Bank Note, PMG GEM Uncirculated 65 EPQ
Two special notes from Iraq led highlights among a diverse offering of World Currency. A 1942 Government of Iraq 100 Dinars, one of less than 10 known of this design and the highest graded example, which sold for $30,000, and a grandly-sized, 1931 Government of Iraq 100 Dinars, sold for $24,000.
Radiant in lavender and red, the highest-graded 1935 $25 French Text Note known to exist, sold for $22,800. A first serial number Commonwealth of Australia £5 NDSpecimen sold for $21,600.
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.
