An 1881-S Morgan silver dollar certified PCGS MS67 with a Gold CAC sticker sold for $19,520 to lead Heritage Auctions’ June 15 U.S. Coins Early Holders Showcase Auction.
The sale realized $619,141 and featured certified U.S. coins housed in vintage holders from Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC).
Collectors competed for coins in early PCGS "rattler" and green-label holders, along with older NGC "fatty" holders. Coins carrying CAC and Gold CAC endorsements also drew strong interest.
The top-selling 1881-S Morgan dollar was encapsulated in a PCGS Generation 3.1 green-label holder. Its Gold CAC sticker indicates that Certified Acceptance Corp. considers the coin undergraded and of a quality exceeding the standards normally associated with its assigned grade.
Other auction highlights included:
- 1861 Liberty Seated half dime, NGC MS66, Generation 4 "fatty" holder — $7,930
- 1934-S Peace dollar, PCGS MS63, Generation 3.0 green-label holder — $7,320
- 1907 Saint-Gaudens double eagle, PCGS MS61, Gold CAC, Generation 3.0 green-label holder — $7,320
- 1875-S Trade dollar, Type One Reverse, Large S variety, PCGS MS64 — $6,405
- 1797 Draped Bust dollar, 9×7 Stars, Large Letters, B-1, BB-73, PCGS Fine 12, Generation 1.2 rattler holder — $6,100
The 1797 dollar was housed in one of PCGS’s earliest-generation holders. Commonly called rattlers because coins can move slightly within their capsules, the holders were used during the grading service’s early years and have become collectibles in their own right.
Early PCGS green-label holders, often called old green holders or OGHs, and NGC fatty holders are similarly sought by collectors who believe some conservatively graded coins remain in older encapsulations.
For additional auction details, visit HA.com/60545.
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. It maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Geneva, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
