By James McCartney – Numismatist & Cataloger, Stack’s Bowers ……
The Stack’s Bowers Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Summer Expo in Baltimore is shaping up to be among the most exciting numismatic events of the summer. The sale will feature rarities across both classic and modern United Sates coinage including the Cheerios dollar, and will provide every collector plenty of opportunities to add to a collection.
As mentioned, among the rarities to be offered is a recent product of the United States Mint. It is an incredible MS-68 (PCGS) Sacagawea dollar from the famous Cheerios Dollar cereal promotion held by General Mills around the turn of the century. As part of this promotion, 11,000,000 of the first 2000-dated Lincoln cents were distributed throughout boxes of Cheerios cereal, and every 2,000th box also contained a new 2000-dated Sacagawea dollar. With 5,500 Sacagawea dollars being released in Cheerios boxes, the promotion stirred up significant interest from the public and was a considerable marketing success.
It wasn’t long before numismatists took an interest in these coins and soon examples were trading for between $50 and $150 in the original sealed packaging. It took nearly five years before numismatists noticed that the Sacagawea dollars distributed through the Cheerios promotion featured a variation in the eagle’s tail feathers when compared with the dollars released into general circulation. This special variety has been assigned the FS-902 attribution and is referred to as the Boldly Detailed Tail Feathers variety, or the Reverse of 1999. However, as more of these dollars in original packaging were examined, it became clear that not every example placed into a Cheerios box was struck from these pattern dies, stressing the true rarity of the Boldly Detailed Tail Feathers variety.
The example to be offered in our June Baltimore auction is among the finest known of this rare variety, with just 41 examples certified at the present grade and not a single piece graded finer by PCGS. The surfaces are virtually pristine, satiny, and incredibly lustrous, with a bold strike throughout. The eagle’s tail feathers are individually sharp and fully showcase the reverse design detail as intended by Mint engraver Thomas D. Rodgers, Sr.
Consign Now
Thinking of selling? If so, let our success be your success. If you have a fine collection for sale – large or small – or interesting duplicates or other valuable items, then tap into the world’s finest rare coin auction service. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is back to Baltimore, our favorite convention city, June 20-22, 2018, for our official auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Summer Expo.
We are accepting consignments of U.S. coin, tokens and medals through April 24, 2018. Let us present your items to the finest clientele of private buyers, museums, investors, and dealers of any auction house. The same buyers who have set records in the past will be bidding on your consignment. A win-win experience awaits you. For one low, competitive commission rate we take care of everything. All you need to do is cash our generous check!
This MS-68 (PCGS) “Cheerios” dollar will be among the featured highlights of our Official Auction of the June 2018 Whitman Coins & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore. To consign your collection alongside this and many other exciting rarities, contact a numismatic representative today at 800-458-4646 or email [email protected]. Also, download our mobile app to view and participate in our exciting auctions via your Android or Apple device.
