Unique Gold Coin To be Offered In eBay/Heritage Internet Auction

Dallas, Texas: An American gold coin of the utmost rarity will be auctioned jointly by eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) and Heritage Numismatic Auctions, at Heritage's E-Fair sale being held October 8 in Columbus, Ohio.

"The unique 1844-O $10 Proof gold coin," explained Heritage Co-Chairman Jim Halperin, "is one of the most important nineteenth century rarities available. It will be offered subject to an undisclosed reserve set by the consignor. During the 1800s, virtually all proof coins - proofs being special mirror-like presentation pieces minted by polished dies striking a polished coin blank - were produced at the Philadelphia Mint. This is one of a mere handful of proofs produced in New Orleans during the early years of the branch Mint's existence, and it's unique as a proof.

"The coin comes with both a marvelous pedigree and a mystery," continued Halperin. "The coin is pedigreed to two of the finest coin collections ever assembled. It was lot 1151 of the Parmelee Collection of American Coins sold in 1890, where it realized the grand sum of $16.00! Its next auction appearance was in the 1911 sale of the Collection of Rare American Coins of William H. Woodin, where as lot 1263 it realized $50.00. For much of the twentieth century, its location has been unknown, and it was feared lost for many years. In these earlier auctions, it was often described as a 'perfect proof;' the coin has now been certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, a leading independent third-party authentication and grading service, as a Proof-64, which places it among the finest specimens known for the date, even if it were not a proof. In summary, we have a unique coin in the highest degree of preservation possible, a great combination in today's quality-driven market."

"It is ironic," observed HNAI Director Bob Korver, "that this great antique from the nineteenth century will be offered for sale using the very latest in computer and Internet technologies. One of the benefits of being the world's largest numismatic auctioneer is that rarities like the 1844-O appear in our catalogs on a regular basis. Heritage, the official auctioneer of the first Electronic Coin & Collectibles Fair (E-Fair), is co-sponsoring the event with eBay. After more than two decades of presenting rare coin and currency auctions at America's leading coin conventions, We began expanding our auction presence on our website, www.heritagecoin.com. Now, our exclusive Interactive Internet™ program is producing more than $2 million in bids every auction. But the 1844-O $10 will be offered around the world, only to the Internet customers of both Heritage and eBay. Heritage's combination of floor, mail, and Internet bidding is designed to maximize prices realized of the more than 1,000 coins being auctioned at the E-Fair, however the 1844-O will be one of 201 coins sold by Heritage and eBay exclusively on the Internet without floor bidding, and not subject to Heritage's normal 15% Buyer's Charge. While the 1844-O is much more valuable than the coins typically sold on the Internet, we hope that our worldwide exposure will locate a willing buyer."

Photographs of the 1844-O Proof-64 $10 will be posted on the Heritage website, along with instructions on how to participate in the E-Fair sale.

Heritage Numismatic Auctions can be reached at Heritage's world headquarters, 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor, Dallas Texas, 75219-3941, or by e-mail at bids@heritagecoin.com. eBay is on the Web at www.ebay.com. E-Fair's website is www.ace-expo.com.