Dallas, TX. A pair of 1794 silver dollars and a pair of Continental dollars are among the rarities included in the Signature® catalog for the Official Auction of the May 2008 Long Beach Coin Expo. The auction, being held in California May 28-30, is now posted by Heritage Auction Galleries on their HA.com website. Signature® catalogs for both U.S. and World Coins & Ancients will be presented.
“The strong market is bringing great rarities onto the Heritage auction block,” commented Heritage President Greg Rohan. “Long Beach rarities from Colonials through double eagles can be found in Long Beach, and especially intriguing among the PCGS-certified rarities is a (1797) New York Theatre Penny Token, D&H-Middlesex-167, Rulau-E-NY-892, PR64 Brown PCGS.”
Anchor consignments for the Long Beach auction include: The Col. Steven Ellsworth Collection of U.S. Half Cents; Part Three of the Liberty Collection of U.S. Colonial Coins; The Silbermünzen Collection; Part Three of the Mario Eller Collection; The Northwest Collection; Part One of the Estate of Robert R. Rollins Collection; Part One of the Estate of Francis A. Sullivan, Jr.; Part Two of the Leroy Van Allen Collection; and Part Two of the Yoder Family Collection. Altogether, more than 650 consignors are participating in Heritage’s May Long Beach auctions.
Highlights from Heritage’s Long Beach Signature® Auction:
Lot 799: 1794 Dollar VG10 PCGS.
Of the mere 1,758 pieces struck, approximately 125 individual examples have been traced today, making this first dollar an essential rarity. Ex: John N. Brooks Collection (United States Coin Co., 12/1914), lot 17. From The Northwest Collection.
Lot 800: 1794 Dollar VF30 PCGS.
Struck on the initial day of the production of silver coinage, October 15, 1794, this rarity is a historic relic of America’s earliest attempt to produce large size silver coinage that would compare favorably in weight to the widely circulated Spanish (Carolus) dollars.
Ex: George C. Slawson (Stack's, 4/1970), lot 840; 1991 ANA (Bowers and Merena, 8/1991), lot 436.
Lot 2201: (1797) New York Theatre Penny Token, D&H-Middlesex-167, Rulau-E-NY-892, PR64 Brown PCGS.
The obverse shows THE THEATRE AT NEW YORK (Park Theater), which opened in New York City on Monday, January 29, 1798 with a performance of 'As You Like It.' The token is one of the nicest of the British Conder series. Ex: 2007 Milwaukee Signature® Auction (Heritage, 8/2007), lot 1523, which realized $32,200.
Additional Highlights:
Lot 180: 1916-D dime, MS65 Full Bands PCGS.
At 264,000 pieces struck, the 1916-D has less than a quarter of the original mintage of its nearest rival, the 1921-D dime. From the Tremont Collection.
Lot 295: 1818 quarter dollar MS66 PCGS. B-3, R.2. Breen Die State II.
A magnificent Premium Gem with gorgeous cherry-red, lime-green and canary-gold toning, it is highly probable that this is the finest 1818 Browning-3 in a PCGS holder – as only one coin of this date has been certified finer. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 307: 1828 quarter dollar PR64 PCGS. B-4.
The Narrow Date variety has less space between the 82, relative to B-1 through B-3.
Ex: Thomas S. Chalkley Collection (Superior, 10/1990), lot 2564, which realized $41,800. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 308: 1833 quarter dollar PR65 PCGS. B-1. Period after 25 C.
An outstanding specimen of this formidable rarity, as the portrait, eagle, and right-side stars have a needle-sharp strike. Ex: Auction '86 (Superior, 7/1986), lot 1091; Thomas S. Chalkley Collection (Superior, 10/1990), lot 2568, which realized $70,400. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 321: 1866-S quarter dollar MS66 PCGS. Briggs 1-A.
This is the finest certified example, of only 28,000 pieces struck; housed in a first generation holder, it apparently has not appeared at auction since it was encapsulated, and twenty years after it was first graded, it remains the single finest certified example. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 720: 1846 half dollar Medium Date, PR63 PCGS.
While mintage figures for the 1846 proof half dollar were not reported, it is likely that no more than a dozen have survived to the present day. Ex: The Thomas S. Chalkley Collection (Superior Galleries, 1/1990), lot 3574. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 771: 1915-S Barber half dollar MS67 PCGS.
A remarkable Superb Gem that has spent approximately one-fifth of its existence housed in the same old green label PCGS holder; its preservation is virtually unimprovable. Ex: Thomas S. Chalkley Collection (Superior, 10/1990), lot 3712. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 942: 1846 Seated dollar PR65 PCGS. Breen-5436.
The proof-only blundered date variety, which Breen describes as "date first entered much too low and oblique, then largely effaced and corrected; parts of upper halves of 846 show in lower halves of final position of date." From The Silbermünzen Collection.
Lot 1647: 1796 half cent, With Pole, AU55 PCGS. C-2, B-2, High R.4. EAC 45.
The 1796 half cent is the classic rarity of the denomination; from a mintage of just 1,390 coins, perhaps 10% exist today. Ex: Julian Leidman; Jim McGuigan; Benson Collection Sale (Goldberg Coins, 2/2002), lot 32; Stuart Levine (2/2002). From The Colonel Steven Ellsworth Collection of U.S. Half Cents.
Lot 1822: 1652 Pine Tree Sixpence, Noe-33, MS63 PCGS.
The obverse has pellets flanking the tree trunk, much like the Noe-1 shilling, and suggests that these pieces may have been made at about the same time. Only one example of this variety has been certified finer. Ex: David Proskey (11/28/1903); F.C.C. Boyd; John J. Ford, Jr. (Stack's, 10/2005), lot 136 Q; I FUN Signature® (Heritage, 1/2007), lot 711. From The Liberty Collection of American Colonial Coinage, Part Three.
Lot 1824: 1652 Pine Tree Shilling, Large Planchet, Noe-4, MS64 PCGS.
The first N in ENGLAND is reversed, a die engraver's blunder seen during many periods in many countries. Ex: F.C.C. Boyd Collection; John J. Ford, Jr. Collection Part XII, Stack's (10/ Q20 I05), lot 84; Milwaukee ANA Signature®, (Heritage, 8/2007), lot 1511. From The Liberty Collection of American Colonial Coinage, Part Three.
Lot 1861: 1737 Higley Copper, CONNECTICVT, Freidus 1.2-A, Breen-238, VF25 PCGS.
The CONNECTICVT is the first Higley variety, struck before presumed local complaints compelled the change in the obverse legend, from THE VALVE OF THREE PENCE to VALVE ME AS YOU PLEASE. Ex: F.C.C. Boyd; John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part II (Stack's, 5/2004), lot 268; San Francisco ANA (Heritage, 7/2005), lot 10078; Troy Wiseman Collection, Part Two (Heritage, 1/2007), lot 726. From The Liberty Collection of American Colonial Coinage, Part Three.
Lot 1944: 1787 Excelsior Copper, New York Arms, Eagle on Globe Left, Eagle Reverse Eagle Left, AU55 PCGS.
The eagle on the globe faces left, while the large eagle on the reverse gazes right; students of Early American numismatists can promptly name many similarities that the Excelsior coppers share with the legendary Brasher doubloons. This is the single finest certified by PCGS (3/08), and none have been certified by NGC. Ex: Benson Collection Part II (Ira and Larry Goldberg, 2/02), lot 12; FUN Signature® (Heritage, 1/2007), lot 736; From The Liberty Collection of American Colonial Coinage, Part Three.
Lot 2047: 1792 Roman Head Cent, Baker-19 PR61 Brown PCGS.
The notoriety of the famously rare Roman Head cent was enhanced by Breen's description of its history in his Encyclopedia. Only two have been certified finer. From The Liberty Collection of American Colonial Coinage, Part Three.
Lot 2106: 1739 Broad Axe Higley Copper, Freidus 3.2-D, Breen-244, VF20 PCGS. Crosby, Pl. VIII, 26.
There is an unintelligible undercoin below the weakened 1739 date. Ex: Stack's Henry Da Costa Gomez Collection, Part Two, 6/2004; lot 4004.
Lot 2138: 1776 Continental Dollar, CURENCY, Rare Early Die State, Pewter, MS62 PCGS. Newman 1-C, Hodder-1.A2, Breen-1089, R.3.
The same die pair was used to strike all Continental Dollars that contain the blundered legend CURENCY, but Eric Newman assigned two additional reverse varieties for the two recut reverses.
Lot 2139: 1776 Continental Dollar, CURRENCY, Pewter, Newman 2-C, MS62 PCGS. Crosby Pl. VIII, 16, Newman 2-C, Breen-1092, R.3.
Struck from perfect dies, without the rust often seen for this die marriage within the rings for Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Hampshire. The second obverse die for the series, which corrects the CURENCY misspelling.
Lot 2270: 1868 Indian cent, MS66 Red PCGS.
The 1868 Indian cent reminds us that sometimes mintage figures can completely obfuscate the truth regarding current rarity; this is one of the three finest certified at PCGS. From The Estate of Robert R. Rollins Collection, Part One.
Lot 2514: 1884-S Morgan dollar, MS63 PCGS.
The 1884-S is the first truly elusive S-mint Morgan dollar one encounters in the series from 1878-S forward.
Lot 2723: 1880 Morgan dollar, PR68 Cameo PCGS. Ex: JFS Collection.
In 1880, all of the Philadelphia Mint silver dollars featured the Slanted Arrow Feather reverse, also called Type of 1879; total production of proofs was 1,355 coins.
Lot 3216: 1842-C Small Date half eagle, AU58 PCGS. Variety 4-C, the only known dies. Die State II.
The two die states of this variety are easily distinguished by the presence or absence of a rim break at the top of the obverse, over star 7.
Lot 3354: 1796 eagle XF40 PCGS, Breen-6832, Taraszka-6, BD-1, R.4.
The only known die pair for coinage of 1796, with total production for the year of 4,146 pieces (with the majority of these dated 1795).
Lot 3456: 1889 eagle PR64 PCGS.
The 1889 eagle had a production of only 45 pieces, a number that is somewhat on the low side even for the late 1880s and early 1890s. Ex: Bass II (Bowers and Merena, 10/1999), lot 1621.
Lot 3579: 1861-S double eagle, MS62 PCGS.
Subsequent to the small production run of Paquet Reverse double eagles, the regular reverse die was used to strike 768,000 coins at the San Francisco Mint in 1861. Only one coin has been certified finer.
Lot 3786: 1860 Clark, Gruber & Co. eagle, MS62 PCGS. K-3, R.5.
A remarkable Mint State example with few peers among PCGS certified examples.
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