U.S. Gold Rarities Highlight $12.5 Million+ Heritage Long Beach Signature Auction

Dallas, TX: The Official Auctions of the May/June 2007 Long Beach Coin Expo were held by Heritage Auction Galleries, May 31-June 1 in Long Beach, California. The U.S. coin auction realized $8,188,350, and the Ancient & World coin auction realized $3,502,291. Post Auction Buys for both auctions, combined with the results from two Final Sessions (U.S. and World), are expected to yield total prices realized for all auctions of nearly $13 million. Individual prices realized, lot descriptions, and full color images can be viewed in the Permanent Auction Archives at www.HA.com.

"The June Long Beach catalog," noted Heritage President Greg Rohan, "contained magnificent selections of rarities, especially from the U.S. gold series. Consignments from nearly 200 consignors blended together into a magnificent opportunity for numismatists seeking to assemble fine collections. The gold rarities included many pieces ranked as the finest known or of the highest Registry quality."

Outstanding prices were realized by several gold rarities:

Lot 2772: 1921 Double Eagle MS64 PCGS
An absolute and condition rarity in the Saint-Gaudens series. Population: 3 in 64, 4 finer (4/07). Ex: Morse Collection
Realized: $402,500

Lot 2502: 1907 Rolled Edge Ten, MS65 PCGS
Commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt to create new coinage designs, Augustus Saint-Gaudens' creations for the eagles and double eagles are ranked among the most beautiful designs in the entire panorama of American coinage.
Realized: $230,000

Lot 2803: 1926-D Double Eagle MS65 PCGS
The Denver Mint struck 481,000 double eagles in 1926, but most were melted in the 1930s.
Realized: $126,500

Lot 2820: 1931-D Double Eagle MS65 PCGS
An important end-of-the-series rarity, as most of the year's double eagles never left Treasury or bank vaults and were ultimately melted.
Realized: $115,000

Lot 1973: 1915-S Panama-Pacific Octagonal Fifty Dollar MS65 NGC
Ex: Swiss America/Dr. Merritt. This immaculately preserved Gem is evenly toned in a lovely shade of deep greenish-gold, and is a wonderful example of this legendary commemorative.
Realized: $100,625

Additional Long Beach highlights:

Lot 56: Condition Census 1796 No Pole Half Cent, NCS. XF Details.
The finest example Heritage has ever offered of the C-1, B-1a, R.6 variety.
Realized: $74,750

Lot 175: 1894 Indian Cent, Doubled Date, MS65 Red NGC. Breen-2024, Snow-1
This is one of the most dramatic repunched dates in American numismatics.
Realized: $5,750

Lot 265: 1944-D Cent Struck on Zinc-Coated 1943 Steel Planchet-AU55 ANACS
This is the alter-ego to one of America's favorite errors.
Realized: $69,000

Lot 591: 1937-D Three-Legged Nickel, MS65 PCGS. FS-020.2.
The most famous late die state for 20th century American coinage, the Three-Legged 1937-D variety resulted from heavy die polishing that effaced one of the bison's forelegs.
Realized: $31,050

Lots 626-631: 7 coins, comprising the #1 PCGS Registry Set of 1936 Proof Coinage
Grades range from PR66 Red PCGS to Satin Finish PR68 PCGS.
Realized: $8,625
Realized: $8,050
Realized: $3,105
Realized: $4,312.50
Realized: $7,475
Realized: $12,650
Realized: $10,925

Lot 866: 1815 Quarter, MS66 NGC
B-1 is the only known die pair, and Condition Census as only one coin certified finer.
Realized: $32,200

Lot 1001: 1927-S Quarter, MS63 Full Head NGC
The 1927-S is the series key, especially in Full Head.
Realized: $29,900

Lot 1602: 1896-O Silver Dollar MS64 PCGS
A Morgan dollar rarity near the top of the Condition Census numerically.
Realized: $37,950

Lot 1654: 1893 Morgan Dollar PR68 Cameo PCGS
This is the only PR68 Cameo certified by PCGS; one of the finest examples known.
Realized: $57,500

Lot 2147: 1804 14 Stars Quarter Eagle, MS61 PCGS
A late obverse die state, apparently only the second known along with the ANS coin.
Realized: $43,125

Lot 2173: 1852-D Quarter Eagle MS61 PCGS. Variety 15-M
The 1 in the date is close to the bust, while the 2 is equidistant between the bust and the denticles. The 5 is noticeably slanted, and the 2 is much wider than the other three digits.
Realized: $18,400

Lot 2307: 1889 Three Dollar Gold Piece MS66 PCGS
The denomination was discontinued in 1889; only two certified finer.
Realized: $27,600

Lot 2399: 1904 Half Eagle PR65 Cameo PCGS
The Smithsonian 1904 proof five is considered a PR64 Cameo by specialists, as is the Eliasberg coin; the few Gems are pedigreed to famous collections such as Pittman and Bass.
Realized: $29,900

Lot 2432: 1915 Indian Half Eagle MS65 PCGS
Not a single piece has received a higher grade by PCGS.
Realized: $16,100

Lot 2438: 1801 Eagle, MS64 NGC, Breen-6843, Taraszka-25, BD-2
Researchers have determined that two obverse dies and two reverse dies were combined to create two varieties of the 1801 eagles; only four graded finer.
Realized: $74,750

Lot 2531: 1850-O Double Eagle AU58 PCGS
This piece is tied for the finest example certified by PCGS.
Realized: $40,251

Lot 2553: 1859-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU50 PCGS
The elusive nature of this coin begins with its minuscule mintage, only 9,100 pieces in pre-Civil War New Orleans.
Realized: $34,500

Lot 2558: 1861-O Twenty Dollar, AU55 NGC
Three different governments produced these coins: the United States; the State of Louisiana; and the Confederacy.
Realized: $43,125

Lot 2595: 1876-S Double Eagle, MS64 PCGS
The PCGS population is just 50, with only one finer piece!
Realized: $32,200

Lot 2597: 1877 Double Eagle MS64 PCGS
The single finest at PCGS.
Realized: $20,700

Lot 2611: 1883-S Double Eagle MS64 PCGS
No finer coin is known to either NGC or PCGS (4/07).
Realized: $14,950

Lot 2635: 1891-CC Double Eagle, MS61 PCGS
In 1891, it fell to Carson City and Philadelphia to supply gold eagles and half eagles for the nation's commerce; only five certified finer.
Realized: $33,350

Lot 2703: MCMVII Wire Rim High Relief MS65 PCGS
A splendid, instantly appealing Gem representative of this coveted single-year type.
Realized: $43,125

Lot 2707: MCMVII Flat Rim High Relief MS66 PCGS
MS66 or finer High Relief examples are seldom offered.
Realized: $97,750

Lot 2715: 1908-S Double Eagle MS66 PCGS
A magnificent example, with a mere five certified finer.
Realized: $86,250

Lot 2733: 1911 Double Eagle MS65 PCGS
Very few high grade survivors are known today.
Realized: $12,650

Lot 2769: 1916-S Double Eagle MS67 NGC
This marks only the third time that Heritage has offered an MS67 of this issue; none certified finer.
Realized: $21,850

Lot 2781: 1923 Double Eagle MS66 PCGS. Ex: Dr. Steven Duckor.
With highly lustrous surfaces of bright orange-gold color and brilliant mint frost, this piece is tied for the finest example that PCGS has certified.
Realized: $34,500

Lot 2819: 1929 Double Eagle MS65 PCGS
Among the most challenging of all Saint-Gaudens issues save for a handful of legendary rarities, a coin as appealing as it is elusive, with only five certified finer.
Realized: $83,375

Lot 2825: 1852 Assay Office Fifty Dollar, 900 Thous. AU53 NGC. K-14, High R.5.
Remarkably few of these large-format gold coins have survived in mint condition.
Realized: $63,250

Lot 3097: Massive 1238-Gram Gold Nugget
Realized: $80,500

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Client Services at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.