On August 13, 2024, Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ long anticipated Global Showcase Rarities Night Auction session drew record bids from collectors around the world as it realized a total of over $19 million. Specialists in United States coins vied for the rarest and finest coins crossing the block as part of the firm’s August auction, presented as an event auctioneer partner for the ANA World’s Fair of Money, the largest numismatic convention of the year.
More than a dozen named collections were featured, including the Cold Spring Harbor Type Set, the Great Pacific Collection, The Tom Hyland Collection, the Knohl Collection, the PentaMint™ Collection, the Senator Platt Family Collection, the Reich Family Collection, the Lucius S. Ruder Collection, the Srotag Collection, and the Walden Collection. The 551-lot session garnered strong activity from beginning to end, and records were shattered as the hammer fell on many of the lots.
Leading the way was Lot 3319, the Proof 1825/4/1 half eagle from the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, now with Collectible Market Qualified (CMQ) approval, that sold for $1,080,000. A record price for the issue in the Proof 62 grade, this realization was $450,000 more than the same coin brought less than two years ago.
A unique gold rarity, the Gem 1878 Judd-1570 pattern half eagle struck on a thin, wide planchet, brought a record price of $576,000, which exceeded the previous record by $120,000 achieved by this exact coin when it sold as part of the extensive Bob R. Simpson Collection in April 2021.
Exceptional prices realized among non-gold coins included Lot 3001, a Gem Libertas Americana medal in silver, one of the finest known, graded MS64+ by PCGS with CMQ approval, which brought a record $336,000.
Lot 3033, a superb 1869 Three-Cent Silver graded MS69 by PCGS and approved by CAC and CMQ broke the price record for any example of the denomination when it sold for $180,000.
Lot 3137, the single finest PCGS/CAC 1853-O Arrows and Rays Half Dollar, graded MS65, realized a world-record $72,000.
Other record prices from the August Rarities Night Auction include:
- Lot 3034: 1880 Shield Nickel. MS-64 (PCGS). CMQ. Realized $46,800. A record price for the grade.
- Lot 3085: 1827/3/2 Capped Bust Quarter. Restrike. B-2. Rarity-6+. Square Base 2 in 25 C. Proof-64 (PCGS). Realized $114,000. A record price for the grade.
- Lot 3118: 1795 Flowing Hair Half Dollar. O-119, T-1. Rarity-3. Two Leaves. MS-64 (PCGS). Realized $240,000. A record price for the grade.
- Lot 3286: 1854-S Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. AU-50 (NGC). Realized $408,000. A record price for this classic key rarity.
- Lot 3304: 1869 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6+. Proof-65 (PCGS). CAC. CMQ. OGH. Realized $96,000. A record price for any non-Cameo example.
- Lot 3395: 1804 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-1, Taraszka-31. Rarity-4+. Crosslet 4. MS-62 (NGC). Realized $168,000. A record price for the grade.
- Lot 3355: 1861-D Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter 47-GG, the only known dies. MS-63 (PCGS). CAC. Realized $336,000. Tied for world record price with the example Stack’s Bowers Galleries sold in the 2023 Global Showcase Auction.
- Lot 3412: 1870-CC Liberty Head Eagle. AU-55 (PCGS). CMQ. Realized $420,000. A record for the grade and the second highest price ever realized for the issue.
- Lot 3434: 1907 Pattern Indian Eagle. Wire Rim, Periods. Judd-1901, var., Pollock-1995, var. Rarity-7+. Irregular Raised Stars on Edge. MS-64 (PCGS). CMQ. Realized $192,000. A record price for a Wire Rim $10 in MS-64 and a record for the Irregular Edge Stars variety.
- Lot 3446: 1854-O Liberty Head Double Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. EF-45 (PCGS). CAC. Realized $312,000. A record price for the grade.
- Lot 3473: 1888 Liberty Head Double Eagle. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6. Proof-65 Cameo (NGC). Realized $216,000. A record for the date in any grade or designation.
Complete results for the Stack’s Bowers Galleries August 2024 Global Showcase Rarities Night Auction are available at StacksBowers.com. For information about consigning to one of the firm’s upcoming Showcase or Online auctions call 800-458-4646 or email [email protected].
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