Gold Hot In Heritage's May Long Beach $26.5 Million Auction

Gold Hot in Heritage's May 2008 Long Beach $26.5 Million Auction
Dallas, TX. Top prices realized of $161,000 were reached by two very different coins in Heritage Auction Galleries' May 28-30, 2008 Signature® in Long Beach: a 1794 Dollar VF30 PCGS (Lot 800) and an 1891-O 25C Specimen MS65 NGC (Lot 334). Total prices realized for the American coins exceeded $19 million and ancient and world coins realized an additional $7.5 million; both totals will rise further when post auction buys are finalized.

"The strong market is continuing to bring great rarities onto the Heritage auction block," commented Heritage President Greg Rohan. "One of the pair of 1794 silver dollars realized $161,000, matched by an 1891-O quarter, certified Specimen 65 by NGC. One of the three Continental dollars included realized $92,000. Altogether, more than 650 consignors and more than 5,000 bidders participated in our May Long Beach auctions

Highlights from Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction:

Lot 800: 1794 Dollar VF30 PCGS. Realized: $161,000
Struck on the initial day of the production of silver coinage, October 15, 1794, this rarity is a historic relic of America's earliest attempt to produce large size silver coinage that would compare favorably in weight to the widely circulated Spanish (Carolus) dollars.
Ex: George C. Slawson (Stack's, 4/1970), lot 840; 1991 ANA (Bowers and Merena, 8/1991), lot 436.

Lot 334: 1891-O 25C Specimen MS65 NGC. Realized: $161,000
One of only two pieces known since it was first recognized in 1941 when it appeared in Mehl's Dunham Sale. Ex: William Forrester Dunham (B. Max Mehl FPL, 6/1941); Gene Edwards; 1980 ANA Sale (Steve Ivy, 8/1980), lot 2024; Jascha Heifetz Collection (Superior, 10/1989), lot 3652. From The Silbermünzen Collection.

Lot 493: 1796 15 Stars Half Dollar, O-101, AU55 NGC. Realized: $149,500
The Draped Bust Small Eagle half dollar, bearing the dates 1796 or 1797, ranks among the lowest mintage of U.S. type coins, with only 3,918 pieces.


Lot 3461: 1907 $10 Wire Rim, Periods, MS67 NGC, Judd-1901, formerly J-1774.
Realized: $149,500
The Periods variants of the 1907 Saint-Gaudens eagle hold an interesting place in American numismatics, as either patterns or regular issues. Only three have been certified finer.

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