Chinese Year of the Dragon 2000 Yuan Kilo Gold leads World Coins with $115,000; post-auction buying continues, expected to push total past $18 million

DALLAS, TX – When the hammer came down on the dramatic 1856-O $20 double eagle on Friday night, May 29, during Heritage Auction Galleries’ Signature® Long Beach U.S. Coin Auction, the $1,437,500 total (including 15% Buyer’s Premium) elicited a spontaneous ovation from the buzzing crowd in the Long Beach Convention Center.

The combined totals for the Rare U.S. Coins and World Coins auction in Heritage’s annual start of summer event in California was approaching $18 million total as of Monday, June 1, with post-auction buying continuing to push the total even higher.

"To say that we’re pleased with these results is an understatement," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auction Galleries. "Everyone seems to be scrambling to figure out if the overall economy is improving or worsening; one thing is for certain, though: high quality rare U.S. and World coins are selling as well as ever and still provide one of the surest investment opportunities in the market."

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Rare Nicholas I Rouble and a solid gold "Money Chain" highlight the offerings

DALLAS, TX — International variety will be the name of the game at Heritage Auction Galleries Long Beach World Coin Auction, May 28-29 and 31, with an exceedingly rare 1770 Nuevo Reino Pillar Dollar anchoring the country and continent spanning collection.

Of the two that aren’t already in private hands – or held by private institutions – this one is by far the more pristine. It’s estimated at $60,000-$80,000 and officially listed as a Carlos III Pillar 8 Reales 1770NR-VJ, KM39 (Date Unlisted), Calico 1000, Cayon Unlisted, MS64 NGC.

Until three years ago, no one even knew that the 1770 Nuevo Reino Pillar Dollar existed. That changed quickly, however, when an amazing stash of 14 coins was found during the bulldozing of a parking lot in Bogota that was being razed for a new building. Buried beneath the dirt and the decades was the old foundations of the Nuestra Senora del Pilar church. Read the rest of this entry »

Coin traveled in the family of Charles Bienvenu, New Orleans Mint Superintendent in 1856

DALLAS, TX — The finest known certified New Orleans double eagle, the 1856-O Double Eagle, SP63 PCGS, descended for a century in the family of the New Orleans Mint Superintendent of 1856, Charles Bienvenu, will anchor Heritage Auction Galleries’ May Long Beach, CA Signature® US Coin Auction, May 28-31 at the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA.

"Many specialists believe that this is the single most important New Orleans double eagle in existence," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage, "and one of the most important O-mint coins of any denomination. With its sharp strike and reflective luster, this coin is clearly something special, and it has been recognized as a specimen striking by experts and the major grading services, first by NGC and now by PCGS."

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The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) will display the only complete grading set of “Hot Lips” dollars, one of the most interesting of all the different varieties in the popular Morgan dollar series (1878-1921), at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, May 29 - 31, 2008.

"Some Morgan dollars were struck at the New Orleans Mint in 1888 with a doubled die obverse that produced significant doubling of Miss Liberty’s lips, nose and chin. A faint second eyelid is also visible," explained Ron Guth, PCGS President.

The unusual variety is listed as 1888-O VAM-4 (for the ‘VAM’ reference book created by Morgan dollar researchers, Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Mallis), but many collectors refer to it simply as “Hot Lips.”

PCGS will display the Ashmore “Hot Lips” grading set during the show in the Long Beach, California Convention Center.

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Pattern coins and the precious metals markets are the topics of the next two, free Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) “Share the Knowledge” educational seminars.  They will be conducted, respectively, by PNG member-dealers Andy Lustig and Richard Nachbar at the Central States Numismatic Society convention (CSNS) in April and at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo in May.

A complimentary light lunch will be available for audience members at both PNG seminars.

Lustig of Nyack, New York is a co-founder of The Society of U.S. Pattern Collectors.  He will present "Collecting Pattern Coinage" starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 18, 2008 in room 42 of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont, Illinois, the site of the 69th Annual CSNS Convention.

"Patterns are some of the rarest coins struck by the United States Mint.  The series has more than 2,000 different prototypes for American coinage including patterns, die trials and experimental pieces.  This half hour seminar will provide an overview of the series, historical background, collecting strategies and a superb slide show of great rarities," Lustig said.

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