Auctions

The 1856-O Liberty Double Eagle, AU58 PCGS, Winter 1, has made history by achieving a record-breaking price of $690,000 at Heritage Auctions’ February 27-March 2 Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature® Auction. This exceptional coin, part of the Mississippi Collection of Double Eagles, surpassed its previous record of $576,150 set in 2008, reaffirming its status as a premier rarity in the Liberty double eagle series.

The 1856-O Liberty Double Eagle, known for its exceedingly low mintage of just 2,250 coins, is regarded as one of the most coveted pieces in American numismatic history. Once part of the renowned collection of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., this coin is the third-finest known example of the issue, making it an extraordinary addition to any collection.

Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions, aptly commented, “This record is a fitting result for such a magnificent coin coming from such an exceptional collection. It’s an exceedingly rare coin that understandably drew major interest from serious double eagle collectors on its way to this record result.”

While the 1856-O Liberty Double Eagle stole the spotlight, it was far from the only standout in this incredible auction. Numerous other rare and historical coins, including the finest known examples of the 1836 P$1 Name Below Base and the 1896-S Liberty Eagle, also set new auction records. Among these, the 1870-CC Liberty Double Eagle and the 1850-O Double Eagle from the Mississippi Collection also commanded impressive results, with the latter reaching $132,000—an all-time high for this specific variety.

How exciting to see such record-breaking achievements in the world of rare coins, as these extraordinary pieces continue to highlight the lasting value and historical significance of the Liberty double eagle series and other iconic U.S. gold coinage. For more information and complete auction results, visit HA.com/1381.

The numismatic world will soon focus its attention on the 2025 FUN US Coins Signature Auction #1380, where one of the most extraordinary coins in U.S. history, the 1849-C Open Wreath gold dollar, will take center stage. This rarity, graded MS62 by PCGS, is the finest-known specimen of its kind, embodying the pinnacle of rarity and historical significance in American coinage.

This coin is part of the celebrated Bruce S. Sherman Collection, a numismatic achievement renowned for its exceptional quality and representation of some of the rarest coins in U.S. history. Bruce Sherman, a noted money manager, philanthropist, and chairman of the Miami Marlins, has curated a collection that speaks volumes about his passion for history and his drive for excellence. His collection will debut at the January 2025 auction, with more selections to follow in April at the CSNS US Coins Signature Auction.

Struck at the Charlotte Mint during the initial year of the gold dollar denomination, the 1849-C Open Wreath gold dollar tells a unique story. The design, featuring an open wreath reverse, was the first iteration of the newly authorized gold dollar, born of the California Gold Rush. However, Mint Director Robert M. Patterson criticized the design’s high borders and other features, prompting an early switch to the “Closed Wreath” design.

Before this change, the Charlotte Mint produced only a small number of Open Wreath gold dollars. Of the 11,634 gold dollars struck at Charlotte in 1849, no more than 125 featured the Open Wreath design. Today, just five examples are known to survive, making this coin the rarest gold dollar ever struck by any U.S. mint.

The offered specimen’s pedigree is as remarkable as its rarity. It first appeared reliably in the numismatic record as part of the Richmond Collection in 2004, where it realized $690,000—a record at the time for any gold dollar. Earlier mentions in auction catalogs and numismatic literature, such as the Belden Roach Collection sale in 1944, have led to speculation about its earlier ownership, but the historical record remains incomplete.

As the only Mint State example of the 1849-C Open Wreath gold dollar, graded MS62 by PCGS, this coin’s prooflike surfaces and sharp details set it apart from its counterparts. Its unmatched condition and storied history make it an essential piece for any collector of rare U.S. coinage.

For Bruce Sherman, coin collecting has always been about more than rarity or value. It has been a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and a way to preserve history. “I’m captivated by the history and the story behind each coin,” Sherman explains. His collection, replete with rarities like the 1894-S Barber dime and a 1792 copper disme, reflects his deep appreciation for the narratives coins carry.

This January, the 1849-C Open Wreath gold dollar will pass from Sherman’s stewardship to a new collector, ready to carry its legacy forward. The coin, along with the rest of Sherman’s collection, represents not just a triumph of numismatics but a celebration of the stories that define American history.

For more information about this coin and other offerings in the auction, visit Heritage Auctions.

In the latest edition of E-Sylum, Volume 27, Number 10, dated March 10, 2024, Len Augsburger, the Newman Numismatic Portal Project Coordinator, shares an intriguing report regarding a remarkable find from the Eric P. Newman collection. This report delves into a previously unknown working volume from the early days of the Charlotte Mint, a discovery of immense significance to numismatists and historians alike. Signed by the first Superintendent of the Charlotte Mint, John H. Wheeler, this volume contains meticulous documentation of the legislation surrounding the mint’s establishment, alongside extensive annotations. Its contents offer a unique glimpse into the operations and historical context of the Charlotte Mint during its formative years. To delve further into this captivating discovery and explore the world of Southern gold coins, read the full article available here.

On November 2, 2022, Heritage Auctions will offer Mike Coltrane’s U.S. coin collection at an unreserved Signature Sale. Mike enjoyed a variety of numismatic pursuits including currency (to be sold in a Showcase auction on October 30), coins, and related financial documents. He was a student of history, always seeking to learn something new as his boyhood hobby progressed into an avocation. His interests encompassed Colonial issues, Federal coppers, and early half cents, as well as early, branch mint, and Territorial gold. Mike was a lifelong resident of Concord, North Carolina, and included Charlotte Mint gold bullion deposit records and other related documents in his collection; they are also being offered in this sale. Mike was committed to his hometown and was generous with both his time and money. Proceeds from this auction will be donated to charity, through the Foundation for the Carolinas, to assist individuals in need as well as for community betterment.

Below is the 1861-D gold dollar lot description.

1861-D G$1 AU50 PCGS. Gold CAC. Variety 12-Q. The Dahlonega Mint’s last report to the Director at Philadelphia occurred on February 28, 1861. Gold deposits were at $63,193 for the fiscal year up to that point, with $60,946 worth of coinage produced. That coinage included 1,597 half eagles struck during the first two months of 1861, but no gold dollars, even though the dies had already been supplied.

The Confederacy took control of the Dahlonega Mint in April. Mint Director James Pollock, in his Annual Report for the fiscal year ending June 1861, spoke harshly of the defection of the southern branch mints and the perceived effects on their coinage:

“Whether the coinage at these branches continues to conform to the laws and standard of the United States mint cannot now be ascertained. Efforts have been made to procure specimens of the gold and silver coins of the branch at New Orleans, since its defection, for the purpose of determining whether any adulteration or reduction in value of the issues of that branch had been attempted; but thus far no such specimens could be obtained. The treason that can refuse to recognize the lawful authority of a just government, would not hesitate to adulterate the coin made in an institution wrested from that government by lawless violence; nor would it blush to conceal the wrong under the emblems and devices of an honored national coinage.”

Contrary to Pollock’s expectations, coinage standards at the southern branch mints did not falter under the auspices of the Confederacy. Brief experiments with new cent and half dollar designs occurred in New Orleans, but the bulk of the coinage produced in the South after its secession was with existing federal dies. After the 1,597 coins reported in February, Dahlonega Mint personnel struck a small number of additional half eagles for the Confederacy, as well as a new coinage of gold dollars. Mintage figures were unrecorded, but study of the survivorship suggests that the Confederacy struck 1,000 to 2,000 half eagles at Dahlonega sometime after the end of February 1861, and 500 to 1,000 gold dollars. Thus, the 1861-D gold dollar is distinguished as having been entirely produced under the auspices of the Confederacy.

The circumstances of the 1861-D gold dollar’s production, presumably scant mintage, and modern-day rarity make it the most sought-after gold dollar of any date and mint, with perhaps the sole exception of the 1849-C Open Wreath, which is essentially uncollectible. Gold scholars David Akers and Doug Winter have both noted that while the 1861-D is rare overall, surviving examples tend to grade in the AU and low Mint State ranges more often than other Dahlonega issues. While that narrative remains true, it requires amendment. The entire survivorship of this issue is estimated to be only 65 to 75 coins. A significant portion of that population is cleaned, repaired, or otherwise damaged, and those coins form a disproportionately large portion of the public auction appearances for this date. Problem-free 1861-D gold dollars are incredibly rare, and most of those known are held in strong collections.

This coin, housed in an old “rattler” holder, is high-end for the grade. Smooth, satiny surfaces yield blended olive-gold and peach-yellow color, with original luster in the fields. The Dahlonega specialist will recognize the weak strike below Liberty’s bust, but the complete reverse border is a welcome refreshment. The central devices exhibit a degree of sharpness seldom seen on any Type Three D-mint dollar, let alone an 1861-D. A truly memorable example. Ex: FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2020), lot 4319.(Registry values: N7079)

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, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

Stack’s is offering some of the rarest issues that came out of the Georgia gold rush.

Stack’s Bowers is offering a selection of vintage US gold coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®) that were struck at the Dahlonega Mint, which was active in Georgia from 1838 to 1861. Online bidding for the Global Showcase Auction will begin on August 23, 2022.

The second largest Gold Rush in US history began in 1829, along the northern regions of Georgia. Nine years later, the boom led to the establishment of the Dahlonega Mint, which only produced gold coins until its doors closed in 1861. By the 1840s, gold became scarce, and prospectors headed west, chasing another gold find located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains — the California Gold Rush.

One of the stunning NGC-certified offerings in the sale is an 1840-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle, declared the finest known issue. The metal used to make this coin was found along Dukes Creek, one of the first locations that yielded gold. With deep strikes and exquisite detail, this particular coin is graded NGC MS 62, the highest graded example recorded in the NGC Census.

Other NGC-certified highlights in the sale include:

• an 1853-D Gold Dollar graded NGC MS 62
• an 1858-D Gold Dollar graded NGC AU 58
• an 1839-D Classic Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 50
• an 1839-D Classic Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC XF 45
• an 1841-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC MS 61 and pedigreed to the Pittman Collection
• an 1843-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC MS 61
• an 1843-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC MS 61
• an 1843-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 53
• an 1843-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC VF 30
• an 1844-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC XF 45+
• an 1847-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 55
• an 1847-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 53
• an 1847-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC XF 45
• an 1849-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 55
• an 1849-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC XF 45
• an 1850-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 53
• an 1851-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC XF 40 and pedigreed to the Suwannee River Collection
• an 1855-D Liberty Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC AU 58
• an 1854-D Gold Three-Dollar graded NGC VF 30
• an 1842-D Liberty Head Small Date Half Eagle graded NGC AU 55
• an 1842-D Liberty Head Small Date Half Eagle graded NGC AU 53
• an 1842-D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC XF 40
• an 1843-D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC VF 35
• an 1844-D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC AU 53
• an 1846-D/D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC XF 40
• an 1847-D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC MS 63
• an 1850-D Liberty Half Eagle graded NGC VF 30
• an 1852-D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC AU 53
• an 1852-D Liberty Half Eagle graded NGC XF 45
• an 1852-D Liberty Half Eagle graded NGC XF 40
• an 1853-D Liberty Head Half Eagle graded NGC XF 40