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Media Relations

Christina Rees

Christina Rees

Director of Public Relations and Communications

CRees@HA.com
Steve Lansdale

Steve Lansdale

Senior Public Relations and Communications Specialist

SteveL@HA.com
Rhonda Reinhart

Rhonda Reinhart

Intelligent Collector Editor and Communications Specialist

RhondaR@HA.com
Jesse Hughey

Jesse Hughey

Public Relations Specialist

JesseH@ha.com

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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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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:

Additional Auction highlights include:

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.