Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc. (HNAI) and Heritage World Coin Auctions (HWCA) held their latest Signature Auctions on June 2-3, in Long Beach, CA. The HNAI Signature Auction realized over $10 million, while the simultaneous HWCA auction realized an additional $2 million, with nearly 98% of lots selling. In addition, the Bullet Auction, with viewing in Long Beach and bidding over the Internet at www.HeritageCoins.com, realized $1 million. Two coins in the HNAI auction's second session were particular standouts. The 1794 $1 MS61 NGC pedigreed to the Bass collection realized $747,500, while the 1838-O 50C Capped Bust, Reeded Edge. PR64 BM PCGS, among the most famous of all American coinage rarities, brought $632,500, both well over their initial estimates. One of the factors involved in the robust prices realized we're seeing in this and other auctions is the strong presence of Internet bidders. In fact, in this current auction, over half of the auction sold to on-line bidders. Our clients are having an exceptional year selling with Heritage. Many have told us, after buying and selling for years, that 2004-2005 has been their best ever, and we see that continuing. The HNAI Signature Auction included the Dr. Theodore Almquist Collection, The Clifford Columbus Collection, The Empire State Collection, The Larry Rausch Collection of Errors, Part Five, and The Western Hills Collection. Highlights of the HNAI auction included: 1919-S 25C MS66 Full Head PCGS. Realized: $48,875. 1838-O 50C Capped Bust, Reeded Edge. PR64 BM PCGS. Realized: $632,500. 1794 $1 MS61 NGC. Ex: Bass. Realized: $747,500. 1795 $1 Flowing Hair, Three Leaves AU58 NGC. Realized: $51,750. 1900 $2 1/2 PR69 Deep Cameo NGC. Realized: $69,000. 1878 $10 PR64 Ultra Cameo NGC. Realized: $48,875. 1913 $10 PR68 NGC. Realized: $92,000. 1924-D $20 MS65 PCGS. Realized: $63,250. 1909 $20 PR66 NGC. Realized: $80,500. 1851 $50 LE Humbert Fifty Dollar, 880 Thous MS63 NGC. Realized: $149,500. 1853 $20 Assay Office Twenty Dollar, 900 Thous MS65 PCGS. Realized: $92,000. The star of the HWCA Signature Auction was undoubtedly the British Charles I Gold Triple Unite 1643. The $431,250 realized is a new record for its type, and the second highest price ever realized for a British coin. "I'm thrilled by the results of this auction," said Warren Tucker, Director of HWCA. "We had some rare and exciting coins in this auction, and bidders responded enthusiastically. I'm particularly pleased by the high level of participation we saw during this event, and the spectacular percentage of lots sold. Collectors today are grabbing every great world coin they can find, leaving very few pieces on the table when an auction comes to a close." The Long Beach World Coin Signature Auction included the Tortuga Collection of Latin American Coinage, as well as an extensive collection of 250+ Germanic coins, including 15 multiple talers. Highlights of the HWCA Signature Auction included: Argentina: Rio de la Plata. Gold 8 Escudos 1835RA-P. Realized: $12,650. Australia: South Australia. Gold Adelaide Pound 1852. Realized: $18,400. Canada: Victoria 5 Cents 1884. Realized: $16,100. China: People's Republic Year of the Monkey 12 Oz. Gold 1000 Yuan 1992. Realized: $14,950. France: Louis XV gold 2 Louis d'Or 1716-S (Troyes). Realized: $16,100. German States: Colmar. City Taler 1666. Realized: $16,100. Great Britain: Charles I Gold Triple Unite 1643. MS63 NGC. Realized: $431,250 Italy: Guastalla. Ferrante II Gonzaga 70 Soldi 1617. Realized: $12,650. Korea: Yi Hyong PATTERN 20 Mun Year 495 (1886). Realized: $12,650. Switzerland: Confederation 1850 Presentation Set. Realized: $13,800. Images, descriptions, and prices realized from all of Heritage's previous sales are available in the Permanent Auction Archives at the Heritage website. Back to Top

As a part of our upcoming San Francisco ANA Signature Auction on July 27-30, Heritage is pleased to present the finest known specimen of the 1936-D 3-1/2 Legs Buffalo Nickel. This coin, graded MS62 by PCGS, is the only mint state specimen to be certified by either major grading service, and is only the third coin of this rare variety in any grade that we've had the privilege to offer.

On the 1936-D 3-1/2 Legs nickel, the bison's right front leg has been partially removed, showing much less detail than normal. This is the same leg that is missing on the popular 1937-D 3 Legged nickel, and in both cases, the missing leg can be attributed to the die having been overpolished, likely to remove clash marks, thus removing the elements with the lowest relief.

Normal 3-1/2 Leg

One of the keys to the popularity of any coin variety is its recognition by the general public, and perhaps nothing helps this more than a listing in A Guide Book of United States Coins, popularly known as the Red Book. The 1936-D 3-1/2 Legs nickel has been listed in the Red Book for a number of years, yet high grade specimens are so scarce that they do not receive a value listing.

This coin is a bit softly struck on the high points, but has a pleasing gray-gold color, accented by traces of rose toning about the peripheries. Surface markings are typical for the assigned grade. As the sole Mint State example known of this rare variety, this piece is undoubtedly destined for a home in an outstanding Buffalo Nickel variety set.

This auction will open for bidding in early July at www.HeritageCoins.com.

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Heritage's Permanent Auction Archives are perhaps the best free resource anywhere on the web to be able to find the going auction price of coins, to find historical prices, and even just to see pictures of specific rare coins. All auctions conducted by Heritage since 1993 are included in the archive, and images are available for single coin lots auctioned 2000 and later.

Here are links from several places on the Heritage website that will allow you to access the archives. The easiest place to find such a link is below the "Auctions" tab at the top of every page on the site. Click on "Permanent Auction Archives".

You will see a screen much like the following:

There are three boxes on the left side of the screen for you to choose your search. The first is a drop down box that allows you to choose the type of coin you wish to look for, such as Indian Head Cents or Proof Liberty Double Eagles. The second, also a drop down box, allows you to choose whether you wish to look in a specific auction, or in all auctions. The third allows you to type in a specific search criterion, such as the date of the coin. There are also checkboxes which will allow you to choose whether you wish to search by title only or by title and description and whether you wish to see lots that did not sell.

Let's say that we wish to look for a 1929 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle in the January 2003 FUN Signature Sale. In the first drop-down, we choose the type of coin, Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles. In the second, choose 2003 Orlando, FL. (FUN) Signature Sale, #308. And in the text box, type the date of the coin, 1929.

From this screen, we can see that Heritage sold three such coins in this sale, at the noted prices. You can click on the links to see the description of the coin, and you can click on the camera icon to see a picture of the piece.

If you know the lot number of the item you're looking for, enter it into the "Jump to Lot" box on the right side of the page. If you want to see a complete list of prices realized from this particular sale, click on the "Printable Version" link at the top right of the page.

Finally, as we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, you can jump directly from the Permanent Auction Archives and back by clicking on the panes above the search results. Doing so will take you from the Archives to items currently offered to items in future auctions in whatever order you wish, but will still keep the search criteria you originally used.

Happy hunting!

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Saddle Strike: A form of striking error where a blank planchet is struck simultaneously by two different sets of dies, causing two struck images to appear on opposite sides of the planchet. Although this error appears at first to be a double strike, it is not. The error occurs when the planchet is centered above more than one anvil die in a coin press that strikes multiple coins simultaneously. The name comes from the shape of the unstruck portion of the planchet, which resembles a horse saddle.

Taler: A large silver coin, about the size of a silver dollar, which circulated in Europe between roughly the 15^th and 19^th centuries. Unlike "crown," which describes such coins by their size, "Taler" is a denomination, derived from the original "Joachimsthaler" for reasons that should be obvious if you try to pronounce the longer word. Similar denominations are Thaler, Daler, Daalder; and the English word Dollar. A multiple taler is a coin denominated as more than one taler and containing a proportional amount of silver. Multiple talers were sometimes made with larger dies, but sometimes made with exactly the same dies used to produce the taler. The denomination of the coin would thus either be determined by weight or be denoted by a counterstamp.

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