Collectors are eagerly awaiting the first sale of rare and exceptional Coins and Banknotes to be presented by Bonhams New York. Taking place on December 3rd, the sale consists of over 400 lots ranging from 1692 to the early 21st Century. 

Amongst the most coveted lots will be an exceptionally rare 1796 $10 AU50 NGC (pictured, above). Bright green-gold with warm honey and orange highlights, the coin’s intense mint bloom glows broadly in the fields and within the protected design areas. The obverse is of the Turban Head type with stars to both sides. The reverse motif, also used on the contemporary half eagle, depicts the national bird solidly perched on a branch of palm, holding aloft a victory wreath without any olives or berries.

The die work is excellent being BD-1, Breen-6832, Bass-3174, Taraszka-6, R.4, the only known die pairing for the year. From the earliest years of the regularly issued coinage of the United States which started in 1796, this highly important and elusive issue is estimated at $65,000-75,000. Read the rest of this entry »

By placing 107 rare coins into circulation, Jeff Angello, owner of American Coin & Stamp Co., hopes that this will delight coin collectors as well as stir up interest in the hobby.

For some lucky shoppers, that pocket change could contain super rare coins worth thousands of dollars.

To Jeff Angello, of American Coin & Stamp Company, Inc., rare coins and precious metals are a hobby, a passion and a thriving business. As a token of his gratitude for the many years of collecting, buying and selling rare coins, he is placing 107 coins back into circulation. With a face value of only a few dollars, the rare coins add up to an approximate value of $4000.00.

One of these coins is a penny from 1955, which is the year that his father Joseph Angello founded the business. This particular penny is very valuable due to fact that it was minted with a mistake. The penny, which was minted in Philadelphia, had been stamped twice, causing a doubling of the numbers and letters on the face of the coin. Read the rest of this entry »

Classics of American coinage ready for Heritage’s final Signature® Numismatic Auction of the year in Houston on Dec. 3

DALLAS, TX — A rare and highly desirable branch mint proof 1884-CC Morgan dollar, graded PR66 Cameo by NGC, leads the list of highlights for Heritage Auctions’ December 2009 Signature® U.S. Coin Auction, to be held in Houston, TX. It is estimated at $140,000+.

Though the Carson City Mint had neither the personnel nor the resources to strike proof coins on a par with those produced at the main Philadelphia Mint, it did turn out a small number of special pieces, or branch mint proofs.

"In the second half of the 19th century Philadelphia struck virtually all proof coins," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "Only a handful of proofs were struck at branch mints such as Carson City — some with official authorization and some without. While this branch mint proof dollar does not appear in any official records, it is clearly unlike any Morgan dollar struck for circulation."

Read the rest of this entry »

1879 Flowing Hair stella leads the way with $161,000; strong prices signal optimism in the market

DALLAS, TX — With a sell-through rate of 90% by lot and 88% by dollar value, and almost 3300 bidders, Heritage Auctions’ Oct. 23-24 Dallas Signature® U.S. Coin Auction soared to $8.7 million total. All prices include a 15% Buyer’s Premium.

The impressive tally is a good sign for the coin market and provides strong momentum as the numismatic world prepares for the January FUN auctions, long a solid indicator of the overall strength of the business and a benchmark by which to judge the coming year.

"We saw some very strong prices in some unexpected areas," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "The rare coin market seems to be almost fully recovered in many areas, and perhaps even headed for record price levels next year."

A stunning 1879 Flowing Hair stella struck in gold, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, PR65 NGC was the top lot of the Heritage Auctions event, with a price realized of $161,000 for this international trade coinage pattern, which bears a Flowing Hair portrait of Liberty by Charles Barber. Demand for the issue is far greater than the supply; only a few hundred of the gold 1879 Flowing Hair stellas were minted and distributed, mainly to interested members of Congress. Read the rest of this entry »

Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo Features The Dr. Alfred R. Globus Collection Including Gem Example High Condition Census 1830 BD-1 Half Eagle

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will bring more than 6,000 lots of fine coins and currency to Baltimore, Md., for the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo scheduled for November 10-14, 2009.

There are nearly 2,600 U.S. lots and close to 3,500 World lots. The auction will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center and begins with lot viewing Tuesday, November 10, through Saturday, November 14, coinciding with the seven-session auction on Thursday, November 12, through Saturday, November 14. Read the rest of this entry »

IRVINE, Calif. — Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, presented the Official Pre-show Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo on September 22, 2009. The two-session auction realized $2,520,460.

"Philadelphia was a wonderful choice for this Whitman show and Bowers and Merena’s pre-show auction," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena.

"The city is so rich in American history which lends itself to the real nature of what we do in numismatics, and we were very fortunate to be able to present an extensive selection of rare Colonial and Early Federal Era coinage that was very much in keeping with this historic theme. The turnout was great and we are very pleased with our results."

A highpoint of the day came early with lot 15, an undated (circa 1659) Lord Baltimore Shilling graded MS-61 by PCGS, the Eliasberg Specimen, which realized an impressive $57,500. Read the rest of this entry »

DALLAS, TX — The last numismatic blast of the summer of 2009 went off with an $18.4 million flourish in Heritage Auctions’ combined Long Beach U.S. Coin, Currency and World Coin events, Sept. 10-13.

The successful trio of auctions further heartened erudite collectors as the world reflects on a year ago as financial markets buckled. U.S. Coins saw solid results with a total of more than $9.4 million, while U.S. Currency’s strong showing amounted to more than $5.7 total, and World Coins continued its robust climb with more than $3.2 million in prices realized.

"We’re very satisfied with the results across the board," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage. "As always, quality sells, and the top lots in each category certainly bore that out.

Bidding was spirited, more than 9,200 bidders participated and the overall results show us that the state of the numismatic market is quite sound; perhaps on its way to a full recovery, and beyond."

The first among equals at Long Beach was a stunning Read the rest of this entry »

DLRC Internet Auction #412 is now accepting bids for the over 1,100 lots offered in the Summer Sunset Collection.

This sale will run for two weeks with the bidding ending the evening of Monday, September 21 between 8-11 pm EST. DLRC Auctions has special financing available and welcomes trade-ins.

This massive collection contains many copper and silver series. A strong run of Liberty Seated, Barber and Standing Liberty Quarters as well as a great run of Bust, Liberty Seated and Barber Halves. Read the rest of this entry »

Auction Spotlights Remarkable 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony Willow Tree Shilling

IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will bring nearly 1,500 lots of fine coins to Philadelphia, Pa.., for the Official Pre-show Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo set for September 21-22, 2009.

The auction will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and begins with lot viewing Monday, September 21, and Tuesday, September 22, followed by the two-session auction on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. EDT.  

"Bowers and Merena has had the privilege for many years to present the Official Baltimore Auction with Whitman, so we are very pleased for this opportunity to work with them in Philadelphia as the Official Pre-show Auctioneer," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. "Whitman produces excellent coin shows. And Philadelphia is rich in history and tradition, really two of the cornerstones of numismatics." 

The auction will present an important selection of rare Colonial and Early Federal Era coinage. Read the rest of this entry »

The Vegas Collection also offered, featuring later-date Saint-Gaudens double eagles, Sept. 10-13

DALLAS, TX — One of the most popular American pattern coins, a spectacular 1879 Flowing Hair stella in gold, Judd-1635, graded PR67 by NGC, is the anchor lot at Heritage Auction Galleries’ Sept. 10-13 Long Beach, CA Signature® U.S. Coin Auction.

The auction action will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Avenue, in Long Beach.

"The various gold stella patterns have been immensely popular with collectors almost since their creation," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage,

"and the 1879 stella with Flowing Hair portrait, with its relatively higher mintage and relatively greater availability to numismatists, has become the most popular of all. We expect this coin to bring $250,000 or more."

At the PR67 grade level, the 1879 Flowing Hair stella is a condition rarity; in fact, there is only one numerically finer example in NGC’s Census Report. Read the rest of this entry »