Media Relations
Press Release - August 29, 2005
Heritage Returns to Long Beach!
DALLAS, TEXAS: Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc (HNAI) will hold its upcoming Signature Auction September 21-24, 2005 as the official auctioneer of the Long Beach Coin Expo.
This event marks our 55th turn as official auctioneer in Long Beach," said Greg Rohan, President of HNAI, "and the show gets more exciting each time we return. We're offering over 15,000 lots over four venues - our Signature auction, our Online Session (formerly known as the Bullet Auction), our Currency Auctions of America event, and the Heritage World Coins Auction. I think it's safe to say that this grand event includes something for everyone."
"There are several important anchor consignments in this auction," said Rohan, "starting with the Ken Arnold Collection. Ken began collecting coins in the early 1980s as an investment, but quickly got hooked on the coins themselves. He began to assemble type coins that interested him, and shortly began seriously collecting Seated Liberty coins, including a complete set of Proof Seated halves."
Highlights of the Ken Arnold Collection include:
- 1849 50C PR64 PCGS.
- 1869 $1 PR65 PCGS.
- 1874 50C Arrows PR65 NGC.
- 1876 20C PR65 Cameo NGC.
- 1858 50C PR65 Cameo NGC.
"We're also presenting Part Two of the William Bickel Collection," Rohan continued. "A coin collector for nearly his entire life, William Bickel started collecting Lincoln cents out of circulation as a very young man, and he is still pursuing them with a passion. The Bickel Collection contains a dozen MS68, and nearly one hundred MS67 Red examples. Specialists seeking the finest Lincoln cents for their collections and Registry sets need to carefully inspect these numismatic masterpieces."
Highlights of the William Bickel Collection, Part Two include:
- 1995-W $1 Silver Eagle PR69 Deep Cameo PCGS.
- 1994-P $1 Silver Eagle PR70 Deep Cameo PCGS.
- 1918-D 1C MS65 Red PCGS.
- 2000-W G$10 Quarter-Ounce Gold Eagle PR70 Deep Cameo PCGS.
- 2003-W $50 One-Ounce Gold Eagle PR70 Deep Cameo PCGS.
"Daniel Biddle's Registry Collection of Washington Quarters is a stunning achievement," said Rohan. "He started collecting coins on the death of his father Paul in 1995, when his mother gave him a few old coins left in his dad's lockbox. Soon after, he bought his first certified Washington quarter, and didn't stop until he had assembled two complete sets of both Mint State and Proof quarters in what became nearly a full-time avocation. Registry experts will note Mr. Biddle's penchant for 100% complete collections, setting a high standard for all collectors."
"Among his many PCGS Registry Collections," Rohan continued, "Mr. Biddle has seven Registry sets involving Washington quarters. We're offering two very impressive sets in this auction, including his #1 set of Washington Quarters Proof Strikes (1936-1964), rated by PCGS as both the All-Time Finest and Current Finest Registry Set; and his #1 set of Washington Quarters Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1932-1964), rated #5 among the Current Finest."
Highlights of the Daniel Biddle Registry Collection of Washington Quarters include:
- 1937 25C PR68 PCGS.
- 1936 25C PR67 PCGS.
- 1938 25C PR68 PCGS.
- 1932-D 25C MS64 PCGS.
- 1932-S 25C MS65 PCGS.
"We're also very proud to offer Part Two of the Alan Bingel Collection of Gold & Silver Ingots," said Rohan. "Mr. Bingel has assembled one of the finest private collections of what is arguably one of the most important - and one of the most often ignored - areas in numismatics: ingots of precious metals. Mr. Bingel chose to specialize in this fascinating area as he felt ingots were undervalued and underappreciated. His foresight proved prescient, because ever since the salvage of the S.S. Central America, numismatists have been much more aware of the importance of ingots to their collecting pursuits."
Highlights of the Alan Bingel Collection of Gold & Silver Ingots, Part Two include:
- Huhn & Luckhardt Copper-Silver-Gold Ingot Found in Waco, Texas.
- 1952 San Francisco Assay Office Silver Ingot. 63.87 ounces. 1952 / 199 / oval imprint / 1 / 63.87 OZS / 999.75 FINE.
- Undated San Francisco Mint Silver Ingot. 99.99 ounces. Oval imprint / 928 / 999.0 FINE.
- Undated San Francisco Assay Office Silver Ingot. 104.67 ounces. 996.0 / FINE / oval imprint.
"The William Harmon Collection of Half Dimes is a result of 25 years of collecting effort," Rohan continued. "Mr. Harmon actually started collecting in the 1960s, when a tobacco sack full of coins he had purchased gave him his first thirty Half Dimes, but it wasn't until 1980 that he avidly devoted himself to the pursuit. Since then, he has put together a stunning collection of Half Dime varieties, which we are proud to offer."
Highlights of the William Harmon Collection of Half Dimes include:
- 1792 H10C Half Disme, Judd-7, Pollock-7, R.4, VF Details, Reverse Scratched NCS.
- 1802 H10C Fine Details, Damaged NCS.
- 1860 H10C Transitional MS60 ANACS.
- 1797 H10C 16 Stars AU58 NGC.
- 1795 H10C AU58 NGC.
"The Robert Leach Collection of Washingtonia is somewhat different than the other offerings in this auction," said Rohan. "A long-time collector of coins and currency, Mr. Leach sold his prior numismatic collections, and began to search out the medallic art of George Washington. Combining a fascination with both history and numismatics, Mr. Leach was looking for something a little different to collect, and in the process rediscovered one of the core collecting areas of Americana."
Highlights of the Robert Leach Collection of Washingtonia include:
- "1776" Siege of Boston MS62 Prooflike NGC.
- "1799" Gen. of the American Armies MS63 Red and Brown NGC.
- Wright & Bale Washington-Lafayette Medal MS64 NGC.
- Undated Barber Washington-Lincoln Medal MS62 NGC.
- "1814" Battle Monument, Baltimore MS62 Prooflike NGC.
"The world-renowned collection of "Snow" Variety Indian Cents formed by Allan W. Mays Sr. is well known to the readers of Longacre's Ledger," Rohan said. This magnificent collection of Snow varieties - well in excess of 100 pieces - will be avidly pursued by variety specialists."
Highlights of the Allan W. Mays Sr. Collection of "Snow" Variety Indian Cents include:
- 1856 1C --Cleaned--ANACS. Net PR60. Snow-9.
- 1858/7 1C MS62 ANACS. FS-006, Snow-1. High Leaves, Closed E in ONE.
- 1877 1C MS61 Red and Brown ANACS. S-1.
- 1922 No D 1C Strong Reverse XF40 ANACS. FS-013.2. Die #2.
- 1888/7 1C AU58 ANACS. FS-010.7, Snow-2.
"The consignor of the Oak Collection has been pursuing American Colonial coins for nearly half a century," Rohan continued. "He bought his first piece more than 45 years ago, seeking the excitement of owning an important piece of early American history. That same excitement has remained part of his lifelong commitment. As his sophistication grew in this significant area of American numismatics, he gravitated to areas that were less researched and underappreciated, as the joy of discovery became more important than that of acquisition. Of course, with approximately 500 pieces, there was abundant opportunity for the joy of acquiring this comprehensive collection of America's first coins."
Highlights of the Oak Collection of American Colonial Coinage include:
- 1723 2PENCE Rosa Americana Twopence MS62 Brown PCGS. Breen-92. Stop after REX, no stop after 1723.
- 1723 PENNY Rosa Americana Penny MS62 Brown PCGS. Breen-121.
- 1794 Cent Talbot, Allum & Lee Cent PR64 Brown PCGS. Breen-1032.
- 1791 1C Washington Small Eagle Cent MS64 Brown PCGS. Baker-16, R.3.
- 1723 FARTH Hibernia Farthing, D:G:REX--Double Struck--MS63 Brown PCGS. Breen-169, Nelson-6.
"Larry Rausch has consigned still another exciting group of significant nineteenth and twentieth century error coins," said Rohan. "Many specialists search unsuccessfully for years for such dramatic examples, so they have been paying keen attention to these coining rarities. Mr. Rausch started collecting at the age of ten, in 1958. His father was a vest pocket dealer during the 1960s, and as might be expected of the times, invested heavily in rolls - many of which Mr. Rausch still holds. Every week he searched $50 in cents gathered from parking meters, with several finds significant enough to be mentioned in Coin World. Through his high school years, he accompanied his father to many small shows in the Midwest. He noted the occasional error at these shows, and his collection started when he traded with his father for a group of 31 Liberty Seated Dime errors - purchased for $34.10 from a collector, and which he still owns today!"
Highlights of the Larry Rausch Collection of Errors, Part Six include:
- 1890-O $1 Morgan Dollar--Struck 10% Off Center--AU55 PCGS.
- 1928-S 10C Mercury Dime--Struck 15% Off Center--MS64 PCGS.
- 1929-? 5C Buffalo Nickel--Struck on a Cent Planchet--MS64 Brown PCGS.
- 1906 1C Indian Cent--Struck 35% Off Center--AU58 PCGS.
- 1863 1C Indian Cent--Struck 45% Off Center--VG10 PCGS.
"Mr. William Waste, a lifelong resident of the Bay Area, loved coins, although he claims to have purchased his last 'real' coin in the 1970s, "said Rohan."The reality, however, is that he continued to purchase modern issues for family members for many years following. Mr. Waste had a good eye for problem-free coins, and we are sure that their new owners will enjoy them as much as he did."
Highlights of the William Waste Collection include:
- 1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim AU Details, Improperly Cleaned, NCS.
- 1904 G$1 Lewis and Clark MS65 NGC.
- 1905 G$1 Lewis and Clark MS64 NGC.
- 1800 H10C AU55 ANACS. LM-1, V-1, R-3.
- 1874-S 25C Arrows MS65 NGC.
"Last but certainly not least," said Rohan, "is the Thomas D. Wolfe Collection. Mr. Wolfe fell in love with rare coins as a young man, and took his first table at the Omaha Coin Show in 1959. That same year, he decided to become a professional dealer in better-quality antiques. When he continued to buy and occasionally sell coins for his personal collection, numismatics was approached more as a hobby than as a business. He has now been a fixture on the Omaha antiques scene for more than a quarter century."
Highlights of the Thomas D. Wolfe Collection include:
- 1901-S 25C VF35 PCGS.
- 1916 25C MS61 NGC.
- 1795 $1 Flowing Hair, Three Leaves AU53 NGC. B-5, BB-27, R.1.
- 1836 PS$1 Name on Base, Judd-60 Original, Pollock-65, R.1, PR50 ANACS.
- 1929 $5 MS64 PCGS.
Additional Auction highlights include:
- 1914/3 5C MS65 NGC.
- 1916 5C Doubled Die Obverse MS64 PCGS. FS-016, Breen-2599.
- 1864 1C L On Ribbon PR64 Red and Brown NGC. PR-2. Ex: Richmond Collection.
- 1909-S VDB 1C MS67 Red PCGS.
- 1865 through 1889 Three Cent Nickel Proof Collection.
- 1852 $1 Original AU58 PCGS.
Images, descriptions, and prices realized from all of Heritage's previous auctions are available in the Permanent Auction Archives at the Heritage website, HeritageCoins.com
To purchase a catalog for any Heritage Auction, please contact Nicole Jewell at Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc., 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor, Dallas, TX, 75219 or visit HeritageCoins.com to order by credit card.
For additional Heritage press releases, please visit http://www.heritagecoins.com/common/info/press/default.php.

