With the uncertainty that the current Covid-19 global pandemic is bringing to the markets and people’s everyday lives, numismatics seems to be providing a safe haven and comfort to collectors all over.
Legend Rare Coin Auctions’ (LRCA) 37th Regency Auction was scheduled to take place at Le Meridien in Philadelphia. Two weeks prior to the sale, with various governmental orders from different entities, federal, state, and local, Legend made the decision to hold the auction in the firm’s New Jersey offices, as a live, webcast-only auction, with no floor bidders.
Unsure how the situation would play out, email reminders were sent out daily to bidders. Every effort was made to ensure that people who could not come to the office to view to see the coins as close to in hand as possible. Thanks to modern technology, text messaging videos or utilizing Facetime, this is easier now than ever before.
In the end, these efforts paid off, as a record number of online bidders registered to participate in the auction. This proved, yet again, that the demand for rare coins from collectors is deep, and despite the uncertain times, this demand can be insatiable when the coins are fresh and high quality.
Anchoring the auction was the extensive Seattle Collection. Assembled by a very dedicated collector over the course of the last two decades, the Seattle Collection featured complete sets of Mint State two-cent, three-cent silvers, three-cent nickels, Liberty and Shield nickels, and related patterns. From the outset, bidding for these coins was intense, actively bid on by hundreds of different bidders from across the country. Strong prices were realized across the board, with the 1884 three-cent nickel graded PCGS MS66 CAC (lot 58) realizing a world-record price of $42,300 USD and the 1870 Shield nickel, also graded PCGS MS66 CAC (lot 69), realizing a world-record price of $10,281.
All told, the Seattle Collection realized over $504,000.
“Numismatics is the world’s greatest hobby!” exclaimed Legend Rare Coin Auctions’ founder Laura Sperber after the auction. “Even in times of global crisis, collectors find comfort in collecting. Paper assets are just that,” she continued, “but tangible assets offer something more than just a store of value. From collector oriented series like the Seattle Collection to Pan-Pac $50 slugs, every area saw quite a bit of action!”
“[It] was a great night for Legend Auctions, not just because we had another successful sale,” echoed Matthew Bell, CEO of LRCA, “but also because it showed what this community is capable of. We have always prided ourselves on having the best customer and consignor relationships in all of numismatics, and we proved that with this auction. We want to thank everyone who participated in Regency 37 for helping make tonight a success.”
While the entire sale displayed strength given the current situation, there are a number of lots that really do stand out and include the following highlights:
- Lot 1 – 2C 1864 LARGE MOTTO. PCGS MS65 RD
: $2,291.25 - Lot 36 – 3CS 1872 PCGS MS66+
: $19,975 - Lot 57 – 3CN 1883 PCGS MS65
: $12,337.50 - Lot 58 – 3CN 1884 PCGS MS66
: $42,300 - Lot 69 – 5C 1870 PCGS MS66
: $10,281.25 - Lot 235 – 5C 1914 PCGS PR68: $17,625
- Lot 319 – 50C 1942 PCGS MS68: $18,800
- Lot 321 – 50C 1942-D PCGS MS68: $21,737.50
- Lot 372 – $1 1935-S PCGS MS66+
: $9,693.75 - Lot 386 – $50 1915-S PANAMA-PACIFIC ROUND. PCGS MS64
: $114,562.50 - Lot 391 – G$1 1889 PCGS MS68+
: $24,675 - Lot 398 – $5 1834 CLASSIC. PLAIN 4. PCGS MS64+
: $37,600 - Lot 422 – 50C 1921 PILGRIM. PCGS MS67+
: $7,050
Upcoming Regency Sales
Legend Rare Coin Auctions is set to announce the full lot list for their upcoming Regency Auction 38 within the next two weeks. That sale is already anchored by the Blue Hill New Orleans Silver Dollar and Twenty Collections, the BigMo Civil War Set, Part I, and the Ogden Avenue Ladies collection of Proof Liberty Nickels.
They are currently accepting consignments for The Regency Auction 39, set for July 2020. Contact them at [email protected], or call (732) 935-1168 to learn how you can consign to the incredible Regency Auction.
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Legend Rare Coin Auctions (LRCA), based in Lincroft, NJ, is a boutique-style rare coin auction firm.
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