The Phillip H. Morse Collection of Saint-Gaudens Coinage to Anchor Heritage's Palm Beach Platinum Night Auction

DALLAS, TEXAS: The Phillip H. Morse Collection of Saint-Gaudens Coinage, the finest collection of the coinage designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens to ever be sold at public auction, will anchor Heritage's November 3rd Platinum Night session in Palm Beach, Florida. "Heritage will be selling the finest and rarest coins of our Palm Beach Signature Auction - November 2-5 - in the Platinum Night session on November 3rd" explained Heritage President Greg Rohan, "and just between the collections of Phillip Morse and Jack Lee, we will be offering more than $25 million of supremely rare coins."

"While there are many amazing Double Eagles in the Morse Collection," enthused Heritage Co-Chairman Jim Halperin, "the two most extraordinary and most valuable are his essentially perfect MCMVII Ultra High Relief, certified by PCGS as PR69, and his 1927-D $20, certified MS67 by PCGS. Together, these two coins are expected to realize around $5 million. Additional seven-figure prices are expected for Mr. Morse's Arabic Numerals 1907 Double Eagle with Small Edge Letters, certified PR68 by PCGS, and his finest known 1921 Double Eagle, an incredible MS66 Specimen"

"Mr. Morse's Ultra High Relief," continued Halperin, "is the most perfect embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt's charge to Augustus Saint-Gaudens, America's foremost sculptor, to produce a new coin design worthy of American aspirations and ideals. This Ultra High Relief was struck seven times on a medal press in order to fully bring up all the details in the dies; between strikings, the annealing process heated it to a cherry-red color and then cooled it in a weak solution of nitric acid. The result was a surface of nearly pure, glittering gold that gives Ultra High Reliefs their distinctive appearance. NGC and PCGS both graded the Ultra High Relief Double Eagle PR69, the only one graded as such with none seen finer. It is probably the finest Ultra in existence."

Lot 6522: 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, Lettered Edge PR69 PCGS
Ex: Purchased by NERCG/Jim Halperin as part of "The Million Dollar Set" (Captain North) of 1907 coinage from Stack's in April 1980; Boston Jubilee Auction (NERCA, 7/80), lot 323; Trompeter Collection; Heritage private sale, 1999; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

"Mr. Morse's 1927-D Double Eagle," added Heritage President Greg Rohan, is also the finest known example of this legendary issue. Certified by PCGS as MS67, it is the finest surviving specimen of the rarest U.S. gold coin of the twentieth century - which is also the rarest American coin of any denomination or metal from this century. Fewer than 12 pieces are known in all grades, and three of those are in the Smithsonian's National Numismatic Collections.

Lot: 6697: 1927-D Double Eagle, MS67 PCGS
Ex: Stack's (3/91), lot 1217, where it was bought by Jay Parrino for $522,500; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

"The Morse Collection contains several other seven-figure rarities," explained Heritage Co-Chairman Steve Ivy, "but as impressive as the values are, so too is the condition of so many of his wonderful coins. Quality, rarity, eye-appeal, and pedigree are the hallmarks of this collection. His 1907 $20 with Small Edge Lettering, certified as PR68 by PCGS, is technically a pattern, but unrecognized as such. The Small and Large Edge Arabic Numerals twenties are experimental coins that were struck in very limited numbers (only three Small Letters are known). This is the only Small Edge Letters coin that has been certified in any grade by either PCGS or NGC."

Lot 6535: 1907 Arabic Numerals Double Eagle, Small Edge Lettering, PR68 PCGS
Ex: Ed Trompeter Collection; Heritage private sale, 1999; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

"Mr. Morse's 1921 Double Eagles are simply astonishing," continued Ivy. "The 1921 issue is unequalled as a rarity because 99% of its mintage was melted in the 1930s. There are probably only 40-60 mint state examples extant today, and Heritage is offering three of those in our Palm Beach Platinum Night auction. In addition to his finest known MS66, he also owns MS65 and MS64 examples."

Lot 6644: 1921 Double Eagle, MS66 PCGS
Ex: Probable Thomas Comparette to George Godard to Senator Hall; Stack's (3/82), lot 1471, where it brought $41,000; Crawford Collection; Phillip H. Morse Collection.

"One of the most interesting lots in the Morse Collection," noted Heritage's Chief Cataloger Mark Van Winkle, "is not one of his amazing coins, but an important letter from President Theodore Roosevelt to the Rev. Roland C. Dryer of Nunda, New York, defending Roosevelt's omission of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST from the newly minted $10 and $20 gold coins designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. This three-page typed letter, on White House letterhead, was signed by Theodore Roosevelt as President, on November 11, 1907. Of course, Congress forced the issue on March 8, 1908 by passing An Act Providing for the restoration of the motto, 'In God We Trust' on certain denominations of the gold and silver coins of the United States. This is a document of history from the heart of numismatics."

Lot 6501: Theodore Roosevelt Signed Letter Regarding IN GOD WE TRUST
Published in Elting E. Morison ed., The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1952; Hermann Hagedorn, ed., Memorial Edition, Works of Theodore Roosevelt, 24 vols., Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1923-1926
Ex: Sotheby's, June 1, 1995, lot 327, where it brought $21,000; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

Additional Highlights from The Phillip H. Morse Collection:

Lot 6520: 1933 $10 MS65 PCGS
One Of The Finest Known 1933 Eagles; none certified finer
Ex: Superior 1996 Keston Sale; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

Lot 6523: 1907 High Relief Double Eagle, Wire Rim MS69 PCGS
The Finest Known 1907 High Relief Wire Rim $20
Ex: Trompeter Collection; Heritage private sale, 1999; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

Lot 6529: 1907 High Relief Double Eagle, Flat Rim PR69 NGC
Possibly the Finest Known 1907 Specimen Striking High Relief Double Eagle
Ex: The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

Lot 6536: 1907 Large Letters Double Eagle, PR64 NGC
Like the Small Letters, the unique lowered-relief Large Letters Arabic twenty (struck from collar I) is technically a pattern.
Ex: Captain North cased set; New England Rare Coin Galleries; Ken Goldman; Hatie Collection (Bowers), lot 2855; Trompeter Collection; Heritage private sale, 1999; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

Lot 6641: 1920-S Double Eagle, MS66 PCGS
The finest known example of the extremely rare 1920-S Double Eagle.
Ex: Eliasberg (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/82), lot 1051, where it brought $30,800; purchased by Dr. Stephen Duckor; sold by Dr. Duckor 3/00; The Phillip H. Morse Collection.

Lot 6645: 1921 Double Eagle, MS65 PCGS
The second finest known 1921 Double Eagle.
Ex: Dr. Thomas Louis Comparette; George Godard; Senator Hall; Louis Eliasberg; Eliasberg Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/82), lot 1052; Dr. Stephen Duckor; Jay Parrino (1990); The Phillip H. Morse Collection

Lot 6646: 1921 Double Eagle, MS64 PCGS
Tied for third finest known 1921 Double Eagle.
Ex: Phillip H. Morse Collection

Lot 6678: 1925-D Double Eagle, MS66 PCGS
One of the three finest known 1925-D Double Eagles.
Ex: The Phillip H. Morse Collection

Lot 6698: 1927-S Double Eagle, MS67 PCGS
The finest known 1927-S Double Eagle.
Ex: The Phillip H. Morse Collection

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