An 1888 Liberty Head double eagle sold for $170,800 to lead Heritage Auctions’ Summer FUN U.S. Coins Auction, which realized $12,400,954 from more than 1,400 lots.
Graded PR64 Deep Cameo by PCGS, the proof gold coin set an auction record for an 1888 double eagle in the grade. It topped a sale marked by strong demand for scarce Liberty Head, Indian Head and Saint-Gaudens gold issues.
An 1861-S Paquet double eagle from The Fudd Collection followed at $128,100, while two rare Indian Head eagles from the same collection brought six-figure and near-six-figure prices.
1888 Proof Double Eagle Sets Record
The top-selling 1888 double eagle came from a proof production reported as either 102 or 105 coins. Heritage estimates that only 20 to 25 survive across all grades.
The auctioned example is one of four certified as PR64 Deep Cameo. Its mirrored orange-gold fields and frosted devices provided the strong contrast sought by collectors of proof gold.
"This is exactly the kind of coin advanced collectors hope to find: rare, visually commanding and exceptionally well-preserved," says Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "The 1888 proof double eagle represents the Liberty Head series at its artistic best, and its result reflects the enduring demand for elite proof gold."
Paquet Double Eagle Brings $128,100
The auction’s second-highest result went to an 1861-S Paquet double eagle graded AU55 by NGC.
Anthony C. Paquet’s redesigned reverse was abandoned early in 1861 after Mint officials concluded that its narrow rim posed production difficulties. The stop order reached San Francisco only after 19,250 had been struck.
Roughly 200 examples are believed to survive. The coin offered by Heritage displayed fewer marks and stronger reverse detail than typically seen on the issue.
Indian Head Eagles Among Leading Results
A 1930-S Indian Head eagle graded MS64+ by PCGS and approved by CAC realized $112,850, setting an auction record for the grade.
The San Francisco Mint produced 96,000 examples, but nearly the entire mintage was reportedly melted after 1933. Heritage estimates that 150 to 200 survive in Mint State, along with a small number of circulated examples.
Another Fudd Collection rarity, a 1920-S Indian Head eagle graded MS61 by NGC, sold for $97,600 and also established a grade record.
The 1920-S marked the return of $10 gold coin production at San Francisco following a wartime suspension. Despite a mintage of 126,500, extensive melting left it among the key rarities of the series.
Early Half Eagle Reaches $94,550
A 1795 Capped Bust Right half eagle graded MS62 by NGC brought $94,550.
Attributed as the BD-2 die marriage, the Small Eagle coin is one of the scarcer varieties of the first-year half eagle. An estimated 20 to 25 examples survive, and the auctioned coin is tied for the second-finest known.
It previously appeared in Heritage’s 2006 sale of the Antigo Collection and later became part of The Costa Family Collection.
Group of Rarities Brings $91,500 Each
Several major coins finished at the same $91,500 price.
Among them was an 1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. $20 gold piece recovered from the S.S. Central America and graded AU55 by PCGS. The privately issued coin reflects California’s need for reliable coinage during the early years of the Gold Rush.
A 1920-S Saint-Gaudens double eagle graded MS62 by PCGS also reached $91,500. Only an estimated 80 to 120 examples survive, largely because many branch-mint double eagles held in government vaults were melted during the late 1930s.
The same price was paid for a 1907 High Relief double eagle graded MS66 by NGC. The Flat Rim example represents Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ celebrated high-relief design, produced through a labor-intensive striking process.
A newly documented 1797 Draped Bust half dollar graded VF20 by PCGS set a record for the grade at $91,500. The coin was absent from the Amato census of known examples and could not be traced to an auction appearance during the previous 25 years.
Two 1870-CC Liberty Head eagles also sold for $91,500 each. Graded XF45 by NGC and XF40 by PCGS, they rank among the finer survivors from the Carson City Mint’s first year of operation. Only 5,908 were struck, and an estimated 60 to 75 remain. No Mint State example has been certified by a major grading service.
Two More Gold Coins Reach $85,400
An 1888 Liberty Head eagle graded PR64 Cameo by PCGS realized $85,400. Its proof production is recorded as either 72 or 75 coins, with fewer than two dozen thought to survive.
A 1796 Capped Bust Right eagle graded AU53 by PCGS matched that result. Produced from a single die pair, the Small Eagle issue had a reported mintage of 4,146 and is significantly scarcer than the corresponding 1795 issue.
Heritage conducted the Summer FUN auction from July 16 to 18. Complete results are available on the company’s website under auction 1394.
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Geneva, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
