One of only two Satin Finish proof examples traced of a 1907 Rolled Edge Indian Eagle, JD-1, R.8, PR67 PCGS sold for an auction-record $2.4 million to lead Heritage’s GACC U.S. Coins Signature® Auction to $15,631,669 Oct. 2-5.
That result, coupled with the $11,629,298 GACC U.S. Currency Signature® Auction Oct. 7-10, amounted to a total of $27,260,967 in Heritage’s numismatic events held in conjunction with the Great American Coin and Collectibles Show that was held Sept. 23-27 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, outside of Chicago.
The result for the 1907 Rolled Edge Indian Eagle eclipsed the previous record of $2.185 million that was set when Heritage sold the same coin in 2011. It has been held in private hands ever since. The coin once held a place in the personal collection of Mint Director Frank A. Leach, is one of just two known proof specimens and was struck using the same irregular stars edge collar as the patterns in the Smithsonian.
"This was a remarkable result for a remarkable coin, and consistent with a number of impressive prices Heritage delivered for our consignors this week," says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "This 1907 Rolled Edge Eagle is a coveted prize among collectors, many of whom have been eagerly waiting for it to be offered at auction again."
Nearly three dozen bids poured in for a 1796 B-2 Quarter, MS64 NGC CAC from The Hawkeye Collection until it sold for $408,000. It is an exceptional example of a denomination that was one of the last authorized by the Mint Act of 1792 to be introduced, with the first delivery in April 1796. After the final 1796 quarter fell from the press in early 1797, no additional quarters were made until 1804, with another significant gap from 1808 through 1814; the reason for these gaps was the continuous inflow of Spanish Colonial 2 reales coins from Latin America, which had an equivalent face value. Once Spain started losing its colonial holdings in the New World after 1810, the supply started to dry up, and only then did the quarter denomination take off.
A 1920-S Double Eagle MS64 PCGS. CAC. HA-2 from the Alymaya Collection, Part II, closed at $360,000. Roger Burdette estimated in Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles that this beauty is one of just 187 examples from an original mintage of 558,000 that actually were distributed. Unlike most Saint-Gaudens double eagles of this era, the 1920-S is sometimes found in circulated grades; the few known high-grade examples likely were saved by coin collectors on the Assay Commission. Two examples are included in the collection of the American Numismatic Society, one is located in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, and another is in the holdings of the Connecticut State Library.
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1920-S Double Eagle MS64 PCGS. CAC. HA-2
From the same collection comes a 1907 High Relief, Flat Rim Double Eagle, MS67 PCGS that sparked 54 bids before ending at $280,000.
Among the auction’s treasures from the Crescent Collection was an 1854-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU55 NGC. Variety 1 that reached $348,000. It is one of the top examples of an important coin with a tiny mintage of just 3,250 pieces — the second-lowest production total of the series.
Three exceptional coins brought winning bids of $336,000:
- A 1796 15 Stars Half Dollar, O-101, AU53, PCGS. CAC. Amato-115 from The Hawkeye Collection that is from one of the two rarest dates (along with 1797, which claimed half of the combined mintage of just 3,918 pieces) of all silver type coins, and among the rarest types in the entire U.S. Federal series.
- A 1794 B-1, BB-1 Flowing Hair Dollar XF40 PCGS that is an upper-end specimen of 137 known examples — this example is one of just six Heritage has handled in the last decade that boasts XF40 or better condition.
1794 B-1, BB-1 Flowing Hair Dollar - A 1795 BD-1 Eagle, MS61 NGC. CAC that is one of the earliest 1795 BD-1 eagles and among the first of its kind. John Dannreuther records this die pair first among all five 1795 eagle varieties.
Also from the Hawkeye Collection comes a 1796 BD-1 Eagle, MS63 NGC, a beauty that is rare in any Mint State grade that ended at $300,000. The 1796 is a challenging date in the early eagle series, with only one die variety documented. John Dannreuther estimated in Early U.S. Gold Coins Varieties that between 3,500 and 4,146 pieces were struck, but only 125-175 are believed to have survived in all grades, and most are in circulated condition. Of confirmed survivors, just three — including the coin offered in this auction — are certified in the top numeric grade of MS63.
Other highlights include, but are not limited to:
- A 1932 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS66 PCGS: $276,000
1932 Saint-Gaudens Twenty, MS66 - A 1795 Small Eagle Five Dollar, MS64: $276,000
1795 Small Eagle Five Dollar, MS64 - A 1796/5 BD-1 Half Eagle, MS64 NGC: $252,000
- A 1931 Twenty Dollar, MS66 PCGS: $252,000
1931 Twenty Dollar, MS66 PCGS - A 1795 BD-14 Half Eagle, MS62 PCGS: $222,000
- A 1798/7 9×4 Stars Eagle, AU58 NGC. CAC: $222,000
- A 1799 Small Obverse Stars Eagle, MS64 NGC. CAC: $162,000
- An 1876 Eagle, PR64 Ultra Cameo NGC. CAC: $156,000 — breaking previous auction record of $100,625 that was set at Heritage in 2011
Complete results from the GACC U.S. Coins Auction can be found at HA.com/1386.
GACC U.S. Currency Auction
A magnificent Fr. 2220-G $5,000 1928 Federal Reserve Note. PCGS Banknote Choice Unc 64 PPQ from The Charlton Buckley Collection that is a new addition to the census sold for $360,000 to lead Heritage’s Oct. 7-10 GACC U.S. Currency Signature® Auction.
This magnificent note features the highest serial number among just four known representatives in the Track & Price Census. This remarkable note stands out even further, as this Choice Uncirculated 64 PPQ example is the sole highest-graded Fr. 2220-G across all grading services. The PCGS Banknote Population Report affirms that this example is the sole representative of the number the company has certified.
"Charlton Buckley was a businessman in the Bay Area near San Francisco, a passionate collector who diligently pursued exceptional National Bank notes, large and small, as well as large and small size U.S. type notes," says Dustin Johnston, Senior Vice President of Numismatics at Heritage. "The result of his knowledge and a lifelong collection pursuit is an exceptional trove of California Nationals and notes that haven’t been offered publicly in decades, if ever. Many of Charlton’s notes are among the top lots we have handled all year."
Also from the Buckley Collection comes a Fr. 2221-K $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ that brought a winning bid of $300,000. This magnificent note is one of just 2,400 that were printed for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. This example is one of a small grouping of well-preserved examples from the Dallas district; all survivors have a two- or three-digit serial number. PMG has graded only six small size $5,000s higher across all districts and each of those was graded just a single grade point higher.
A beautiful Fr. 2221-E $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PCGS Banknote Choice Unc 64 PPQ, one of just 15 in the Track & Price population, closed at $264,000. This note, with serial number E00000166A, is the finest example graded by PCGS Banknote. PMG Population Report has graded none equal and only one (65 EPQ) example higher.
A Fr. 2221-B $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 from the Buckley Collection drew $204,000. This New York $5,000 featured a PMG designation of "Good Embossing & Color," as well as a coveted Uncirculated grade. The note had remained off the market for more than a decade, last appearing in a 2015 Heritage Signature® Auction.
A Tucson, AZ – $5 1875 Fr. 405 The First National Bank Ch. # 2639 PMG About Uncirculated 55 EPQ, the finest graded Arizona Territorial and one of only four First Charter Notes from the Territory, sold for $192,000. The First National Bank of Tucson was chartered in 1882, and assigned Series 1875 notes for its circulation, and was the only bank in Arizona that was assigned First Charter notes, and only the $5 denomination. The First National Bank of Phoenix was chartered a year later, and was part of the Second Charter design issuance, and issued $5 Brown Backs only. That left just a single bank with the entire issuance of First Charter Notes for the Territory of Arizona. Just 8,500 were issued over two years, of which only four are known to remain, and of those, it is believed three were set aside by one of the banking families because of the inclusion of two serial number 1s and a serial number 2.
Another exceptional piece from the Buckley Collection is a Serial Number 1 Fr. 1083a $100 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ that reached $186,000. Four other Serial Number 1 Red Seal $100s are reported, with two examples from the New York and Chicago districts being held by the ANA Museum and the collection of the San Francisco FRB respectively. This example is the sole finest for the Friedberg number for both Track & Price and PMG.
The seventh lot in the auction to reach six figures was a Petaluma, CA – $100 1874 Fr. 1165 The First National Gold Bank Ch. # 2193 PMG Very Good 10 that realized $120,000. This magnificent note, also from the Buckley Collection, is a classic numismatic rarity that is one of just two known $100 Petaluma National Gold Bank Notes and one of nine $100 National Gold Bank Notes known from all banks combined; many of those nine are institutionally held or have not been seen in decades. This example is the only one of the known pair from this Petaluma bank to make a public appearance in the past five decades, and one of just three $100 National Gold Bank Notes offered at auction since 2007.
Other top results from the currency auction include, but are not limited to:
- A Fr. 2407 $500 1928 Gold Certificate. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ from the Buckley Collection that is one of the finest known 1928 $500 gold certificates: $93,000
Fr. 2407 $500 1928 Gold Certificate. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ - A Serial Number 1 Fr. 1023a $50 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ: $84,000
Serial Number 1 Fr. 1023a $50 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ - A Serial Number 1 Fr. 963a $20 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ: $84,000
Serial Number 1 Fr. 963a $20 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ - A Serial Number 1 Fr. 903a $10 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ: $78,000
Serial Number 1 Fr. 903a $10 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ - A Serial Number 1 San Francisco, CA – $5 1902 Red Seal Fr. 589 The Crocker National Bank Ch. # (P)3555 Uncut Sheet PMG About Uncirculated 55: $72,000
Complete results from the GACC U.S. Currency Auction can be found at HA.com/3599.
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