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1804 $1 Class III PR58 PCGS. BB-306, R.7. (PCGS# 6908)
Auction 1390 | Lot: 3125 | Jan 17, 2026

Sold For: $3,538,000.00
1804 $1 Class III PR58 PCGS. (PCGS# 6908)
Auction 1124 | Lot: 2567 | May 3, 2009

Sold For: $2,300,000.00
1783 Nova Constellatio Pattern Quint, Silver, Type Two AU53 PCGS Secure. Breen-1102, W-1830, Unique. (PCGS# 821)
Auction 1184 | Lot: 4107 | Apr 28, 2013

Sold For: $1,175,000.00
1907 $20 Ultra High Relief, Sans Serif Edge, Judd-1907, Pollock-2001, R.8 PR58 PCGS Secure. (PCGS# 81954)
Auction 1173 | Lot: 5434 | Aug 5, 2012

Sold For: $1,057,500.00
1855 $50 Kellogg & Co. Fifty Dollar PR53 PCGS. K-4, Breen-7921, High R.6 in proof format; unknown in business strike format. (PCGS# 10228)
Auction 1201 | Lot: 5626 | Jan 12, 2014

Sold For: $352,500.00
1838-O 50C GR-1, R.7, SP50 PCGS Secure. (PCGS# 6226)
Auction 1223 | Lot: 4057 | Aug 12, 2015

Sold For: $293,750.00
Great Britain: Charles II gold Proof Pattern Crown 1663 PR58 PCGS,
Auction 3071 | Lot: 34220 | Jan 7, 2019

Sold For: $288,000.00
1838-O 50C PR45 PCGS. (PCGS# 6226)
Auction 1104 | Lot: 2310 | Apr 19, 2008

Sold For: $276,000.00
China: Republic Yuan Shih-kai gold Pattern 10 Dollars Year 1 (1916) AU58 NGC,
Auction 3120 | Lot: 30134 | Dec 10, 2024

Sold For: $240,000.00

Make Offer to Owner
$360,000 or more
Great Britain: Charles II gold Proof Pattern Crown 1663 PR58 PCGS,
Auction 3105 | Lot: 32196 | Jan 9, 2023

Sold For: $228,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR50 NGC. JD-1, High R.6. (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 1347 | Lot: 3221 | Jul 14, 2022

Sold For: $228,000.00
1916 25C Standing Liberty quarter, Judd-1988 (formerly Judd-1796a), Pollock-2048, R.8, PR50 PCGS. (PCGS# 62287)
Auction 1348 | Lot: 4216 | Aug 28, 2022

Sold For: $168,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR53 PCGS. (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 1205 | Lot: 30299 | Mar 20, 2014

Sold For: $164,500.00
1875 $10 PR50 NGC.
Auction 1201 | Lot: 5501 | Jan 12, 2014

Sold For: $164,500.00
Five-Piece 1943 Experimental Cent Collection NGC. (Total: 5 pieces)
Auction 1136 | Lot: 2382 | Jan 10, 2010

Sold For: $161,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 JD-1, High R.6, PR55 NGC. (PCGS# 106263)
Auction 1385 | Lot: 3346 | Aug 31, 2025

Sold For: $156,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR55 NGC. (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 1298 | Lot: 3844 | Aug 18, 2019

Sold For: $156,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR55 NGC. (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 1169 | Lot: 5220 | Apr 22, 2012

Sold For: $149,500.00
1916 10C Mercury Dime, Judd-1981, formerly Judd-1794, Pollock-2038, R.8, PR58 PCGS. (PCGS# 62279)
Auction 1348 | Lot: 4215 | Aug 28, 2022

Sold For: $144,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR55 NGC. (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 1160 | Lot: 4758 | Oct 16, 2011

Sold For: $132,250.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR58 NGC. (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 1128 | Lot: 1230 | Aug 2, 2009

Sold For: $132,250.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR50 PCGS. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1377 | Lot: 3117 | Sep 15, 2024

Sold For: $120,000.00
Kellogg & Humbert Gold Ingot. The firm of Kellogg & Humbert was well known among the California private concerns that produced coins and assayed the raw gold bullion that was discovered in the American River region beginning in 1848. The partnership of Kellogg and Humbert was formed in April of 1855, just 17 months before the massive transport of bullion went to the bottom of the North Atlantic. The loss was catastrophic, not only in terms of the number of lives lost but also the monetary value that sank to the bottom of the ocean. One hundred thirty-one years later the wreckage of the S.S. Central America was discovered and salvage operations began. In October 1988, Tommy Thompson and the salvage crew saw images from the remote underwater explorer Nemo of a color they had not seen before: gold. In America's Lost Treasure, Thompson relates that moment of discovery:

"Because Nemo's dives are precise, we knew exactly where on the shipwreck site the underwater robot had taken the pictures and where the next dive would take place. Within hours, the submersible was back on the bottom. As we flew the ROV toward the location of the photographs, Milt set the lights. At first we thought we were looking at bricks, but as the beams were adjusted, the color came out. Suddenly, the same monitors that had revealed nothing but colorless ocean terrain for weeks now appeared to be painted a brilliant gold.

"These weren't bricks, but ingots, ingots everywhere ... stacked on the bottom like brownies ... stacked like loaves of bread ... spectacular gold bridges of gold ingots piled on top of timbers and spread over the ocean floor. Then, a little farther along, we found piles of coins, heaped in towers and seemingly spilling into frozen waterfalls. The coins in this part of the shipwreck, which we named the "Garden of Gold," were spread amid the wreckage, stretching beyond Nemo's lights into the blackness of the sea."

Thi (PCGS# 10228)
Auction 422 | Lot: 3894 | Jan 6, 2007

Sold For: $115,000.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR53 PCGS. The existence and rarity of the proof-only 1841 quarter eagle was known almost since the day it was made. The first illustration of such a coin appeared in A Manual of Gold and Silver Coins of All Nations by Jacob Reese Eckfeldt and William E. Dubois, published the following year. While illustrations in a numismatic reference from 1842 have a much different appearance than they do today, being created in this case by a medal-ruling machine and appearing as a line engraving, the point is that the piece was actually illustrated. The medal-ruling machine was an innovation that made a two-dimensional engraving from a three-dimensional object.

An existing unanswered question regarding this issue surrounds the possible existence of business strikes. There is no Mint record of any pieces struck, as proofs of the time were not including in Mint accounts. However, the number of existing pieces is substantially greater than proofs of nearby years. Perhaps as many as 20 quarter eagles of 1841 are known today, while only about 20 proof quarter eagles are known for all other years from 1840 to 1849 combined. It is possibly the case that many additional proofs were struck for the other years, but eventually found their way into circulation, with wear or attrition being the reason they are not know identified. For the proof-only 1841, every piece that exists, regardless of grade, is considered a proof.

While this issue maintained a regular appearance in numismatic literature and also in established collections throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th century. Most discussions surrounding this issue have taken place in the last 40 years, a time of substantial numismatic scholarship. This discussion usually surrounds the status of these coins as proofs or business strikes.

In his 1975 Analysis of Auction Records, David Akers wrote: "The 1841 is generally considered to be the most desirable of all Liberty Head quarter eagles. T (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 430 | Lot: 4375 | Feb 17, 2007

Sold For: $109,250.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1832, R.3, PR58 PCGS. The Flowing Hair stella struck in gold is one of the most famous and desirable pattern issues, perhaps because it has been listed in the Guide Book for many years. Most surviving pieces fall into two different categories: Choice to Gem proof or damaged. Many examples show evidence of use in jewelry, yet they still actively trade in numismatic circles due to their desirability and value. Of course, a large number of high quality proof examples also exist today. It is hard to estimate the exact number of survivors, however, a reasonable guess is about 300 coins covering all different grades.

The example that we are offering here is extremely important and should receive a great deal of attention at the auction. It is a lightly circulated proof, significantly lacking any damage. A trace of wear can be seen on the high points of the design, but the fields retain nearly full mirrors and the designs are quite sharp. Light abrasions on the obverse and reverse surfaces are consistent with a coin that may have circulated briefly, although this example probably served as a pocket piece for some time. As always, this stella shows the parallel roller marks across the highest design elements, and they are nearly vertical, oriented from 6:30 to 12:30 on the obverse. Collectors who have always desired a stella, but lack the budget for a Choice or Gem proof, would do well to consider this opportunity. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 422 | Lot: 3485 | Jan 6, 2007

Sold For: $109,250.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR58+ NGC. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1368 | Lot: 3116 | Jun 16, 2024

Sold For: $108,240.00
Argentina: Provincias de Rio de la Plata 8 Escudos 1813J,
Auction 3012 | Lot: 23020 | Jan 4, 2011

Sold For: $103,500.00
1841 $2 1/2 PR50 NGC. Dubbed "The Little Princess" by Norman Stack in his firm's 1954 sale of the Davis-Graves Collection, the 1841 Quarter Eagle is one of the major rarities among all United States gold coins. There is no record of any mintage, indicating that business strikes of this date were never produced. All known examples show evidence of Proof surface, and it is generally acknowledged that all examples of the date were originally produced as Proofs. At the time, the Mint did not keep specific records of the number of Proof coins produced. Needless to say, it was a very small quantity, and today, there are only about 17 examples known. Some have questioned the number of coins produced, and the method of manufacture. David Akers, for example, feels that the number of survivors is much too high for an early 1840s Proof quarter eagle, when compared to Proof survival of nearby years. If one considers that there were no business strikes, and even with a modest number of collectors and others interested in saving the coinage at that time, the higher Proof mintage does not seem so unlikely. It is certainly also the case that the bullion dealers of the day would have known that this date was not produced for circulation, and they would have saved examples that came into their possession, rather than passing them on as with other dates.

In our June 2004 auction, where we offered a Gem Proof example, we presented a roster of 17 specimens, taken from the May 2000 catalog of the Harry Bass Collection. This example is number 11 in that list, the Stack Collection coin. Also in the Bass catalog was an extensive "History and Appreciation" of the 1841 quarter eagle, written by the present cataloger. Although we have learned considerably about this issue, there are still several questions to be answered. Among these is the reason for a presumably larger mintage, and the lack of Mint records, addressed in the Bass catalog: "If all 1841 quarter eagles were struck in Proof format, perhaps t (PCGS# 7867)
Auction 372 | Lot: 8505 | May 7, 2005

Sold For: $103,500.00
Great Britain: Victoria gold Proof "Una and the Lion" 5 Pounds 1839 PR58 PCGS,
Auction 3125 | Lot: 33151 | Aug 29, 2025

Sold For: $102,000.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR58+ NGC. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1201 | Lot: 5403 | Jan 12, 2014

Sold For: $101,050.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR58 PCGS. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1181 | Lot: 5851 | Jan 14, 2013

Sold For: $99,875.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1832, R.3, PR58 NGC. CAC. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1158 | Lot: 7493 | Aug 14, 2011

Sold For: $97,750.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR50 PCGS. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1391 | Lot: 3166 | Mar 28, 2026

Sold For: $94,550.00
1774/3 SHILNG Virginia Shilling PR58 NGC. Encyclopedia-182, W-1695, R.7. (PCGS# 249)
Auction 1199 | Lot: 30014 | May 16, 2014

Sold For: $94,000.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR50 PCGS. CAC. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1371 | Lot: 4326 | Jan 14, 2024

Sold For: $93,000.00
1854 $10 PR55 Cameo NGC.
Auction 1174 | Lot: 5018 | Sep 9, 2012

Sold For: $88,125.00
1883 $20 PR53 NGC. (PCGS# 9099)
Auction 1298 | Lot: 3947 | Aug 18, 2019

Sold For: $87,000.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR55 NGC. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 444 | Lot: 1890 | Aug 12, 2007

Sold For: $86,250.00
Piedmont Collection, Korea, Yung Hi gold 5 won year 2 (1908), Dragon in circle/Value in wreath, SCKC-28.3, KM-1142, Gem BU and nearly flawless, the only noticeable imperfection is a small flan flaw on the rim at 5 o'clock. Extremely rare and the finest example of the three pieces this cataloger has seen. This type usually appears only once every 5-10 years. An XF example was sold in January of 1988 in the Swiss Bank Corp sale and realized $113,100. (PCGS# 106765)
Auction 230 | Lot: 6948 | Jun 13, 2000

Sold For: $86,250.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR50 PCGS. In March 1911, The Numismatist published an article by Edgar H. Adams on the stella coins of 1879 and 1880. It represented the first time images of all four stella variants were presented at once in that publication. The article is interesting to review over 100 years later with a better understanding of the series, though some might say marginally so.

One of the first points Adams address is the production of a small quantity of "original" 1879 stellas, though he does not specifically refer to them as such: "In 1879 it is on record that 15 sets of the metric set, including the Barber stella, were struck." We now suspect that 25 sets, rather than 15, were ordered thanks to letters written by Treasury Secretary John Sherman and recently published in the Journal of Numismatic Research by Roger Burdette.

Adams also presents the circumstances of the stella's creation and production. He writes:

"The stella, or four dollar gold piece, was the work of Dr. W.W. Hubbell, the patentee of the goloid metal, and was originally intended to serve as an international coin, to be of approximate value to the Austrian eight florin piece. The latter coin had an approximate value of $3.88. The stella was made at the solicitation of the United States Minister to Austria at that period."

The assertion is mostly accurate. The stella was the work of Hubbell, intended to approximate the Austria eight florin coin and other European denominations. However, it is misleading to claim that the stella was made at the solicitation of Minister John A. Kasson. Kasson suggested a coin be struck of equal value to its European counterparts. A denomination of approximate value missed Kasson's intention entirely -- one of the many flaws that ultimately led to the stella's downfall.

This example was carried for years as a pocket piece, as it is unlikely to have circulated (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 60253 | Lot: 92657 | Mar 21, 2022

Sold For: $84,000.00
1831 1/2 C Original C-1 or EO-5, B-1, R.6. Die State 1. PR58 NGC. XF45 EAC. Cataloged as C-1 if it is a business strike, or EO-1 if it is a proof (see the next lot for more details regarding this notation). Small date, large stars; High leaf below right side of S. Only one die state is recorded for the 1831 Original Half Cents. In all states of preservation, and no matter how they were struck, there are slightly fewer than 30 examples known today. When Bowers and Merena sold this coin as part of the Norweb Collection in 1987, it was offered as an important business strike example. Now, NGC has certified it as a Proof. Both business strike (if they exist) and proof 1831 Half Cents are from a single die pair, the obverse die later used for the 1831 Restrike Half Cents, and the reverse used in 1832 for Cohen-1 of that year.

There has been an ongoing debate regarding the status of 1831 Original Half Cents. Are they all business strikes, all Proofs, or are there some of each? This debate took place in the pages of Penny Wise, especially in 1996 and 1997. It makes for interesting reading. Ron Manley presented his opinion that they are all Proofs, and he was supported by Frank Wilkinson. Alternatively, Rick Coleman suggested that there are both proofs and business strikes. For the interested reader, we recommend reviewing these articles with an open mind, and then coming to your own conclusion. This cataloger is still considering both sides of the debate, having yet to reach a conclusion.

Sharply struck with olive-brown surfaces accented by lilac, deeply faded from original mint color. The fields are mildly reflective, not deeply so as usual for Proofs. A tiny area of verdigris or corrosion is seen on the obverse, and on the reverse is a small rim bruise over M of AMERICA.
Ex: King Farouk; Norweb Collection (Bowers and Merena, 10/1987), lot 79. Envelope Included. (PCGS# 1186)
Auction 390 | Lot: 19114 | Jan 28, 2006

Sold For: $80,500.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR50 PCGS. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1240 | Lot: 3296 | Oct 3, 2016

Sold For: $79,312.50
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR45 NGC. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1219 | Lot: 5292 | Apr 26, 2015

Sold For: $79,312.50
1916 10C Mercury Dime, Judd-1981, formerly Judd-1794, Pollock-2038, R.8 PR58 PCGS. (PCGS# 62279)
Auction 1173 | Lot: 5485 | Aug 5, 2012

Sold For: $79,312.50
1846 $10 PR55 NGC. (PCGS# 8782)
Auction 1221 | Lot: 4306 | Jun 4, 2015

Sold For: $76,375.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR55 PCGS. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1219 | Lot: 5293 | Apr 26, 2015

Sold For: $76,375.00

Make Offer to Owner
$114,562 or more
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR55 PCGS. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 1175 | Lot: 5821 | Oct 21, 2012

Sold For: $76,375.00
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1832, R.3, PR55 PCGS. Although a contemporary failure in its concept, the four dollar gold piece, or stella, has proven to be a hint with generations of gold collectors, being incorporated into the standard issues of United States gold coins decades ago. The 1879 Flowing Hair stella is a curious piece that was proposed by John Kasson as an international coin whose value would be roughly equivalent to that of an Austrian 8 florin.

The flowing hair stellas were originally engraved by Charles Barber in 1879 after a design his father, William, had executed in the previous year. 415 pieces were struck as patterns (Judd-1635) and another 400 or so backdated restrikes were produced in 1880. These were widely distributed around Washington circles to popularize the proposed new denomination, but were soon forgotten when the international gold coin was rejected by Congress.

The specimen offered here appears to have been carried as a pocket piece for a year or two (one has to wonder if perhaps by a Cabinet member or influential Senator), but displays pleasing reddish and steel-blue highlights over partially glassy surfaces. With the recent upsurge in prices for higher grade specimens (two PR64 examples each realized over $160,000 in our November 2006 Sale) so-called mishandled pieces such as this take on an even greater importance for the budget-minded collector.
From The Twin Hollows Collection. (PCGS# 8057)
Auction 422 | Lot: 3484 | Jan 6, 2007

Sold For: $69,000.00

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