Record price set by rare 1856-O gold $20
The
rarest New Orleans double eagle, the 1856-O, realized $1,437,500 May 29 at
Heritage Auction Galleries Signature Sale® held in conjunction with the Long
Beach Coin, Stamp and Collectibles Expo.
Overall, the auction, which included U.S. and world coinage, brought the firm
$17.7 million.
Called Specimen-63 by the Professional Coin Grading Service, the coin is the finest surviving example of
the 1856-O, Heritage said.
All prices reported here include a 15 percent buyer’s fee.
“Only 19 coins have ever sold at auction for more than this one,” said Greg
Rohan, president of Heritage Auction Galleries “and none of those were struck
in New Orleans.”
The cataloger noted that Heritage has sold the 1856-O twice before, bringing
$310,500 in 2002 and $542,800 in 2004.
Another highlight of the sale, an extremely rare 1836 Gobrecht silver dollar
with the name below the base, Judd-63 Restrike, Pollock-63, R.8, and grading
Proof-62 by Numismatic Guaranty
Corp. sold for $149,500.
It is one of only three known and was part of the Frank M. Stirling Collection
A copper 1876 Trade dollar pattern, Judd-1476, Pollock-1629, R.8, NGC Proof-65
Red Cameo brought $126,500. The firm called it “undoubtedly the finest existing
1876 copper Trade dollar.”
Bringing the same price as the Trade dollar
pattern was a 1942 Lincoln cent aluminum pattern, Judd-2079, Pollock-2076,
R.8, PCGS Proof-66.
The catalog said this patter is one of the most fascinating experimental pieces
to enter the market in several years.
A copper pattern 1878 Morgan silver
dollar, Judd-1553, Pollock-1730, grading NGC Proof-64 Red and Brown also
went on the block from Stirling
Collection and brought $109,250.
Heritage believes “this pattern is almost certainly unique, as the only known
record of an example dates to the King Farouk Sale in February 1954, where lot
1989 was described as ‘1878, a similar pattern in copper, A.W. 1561 A.
Extremely Fine, prettily toned and probably unique.’ Unfortunately, like so
many of the King Farouk coins, that lot was unplated in the catalog. While the
grade of Extremely Fine and the description of ‘prettily toned’ seem counterintuitive,
many of the Farouk patterns were conservatively graded Extremely Fine, while
today they are known to be considerably nicer.”
Bringing $103,500 was an 1866-S No Motto Liberty Head gold double eagle grading
PCGS AU-58.
IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse design in that year, but this gold $20
was struck before the modified reverse design reached San Francisco from
Philadelphia, Mint, which did the die work.
An 1879 $4 Flowing Hair Stella, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PCGS Proof-61 Cameo,
brought $92,000.
A top copper coin in the sale
was a 1796 half cent, No Pole variety, and it was described as Scratched,
Burnished – NCS. Fine Details. It brought $74,750.
Only around 20 examples are known. This piece probably ranks about 10th finest,
according to Heritage.