IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America's leading rare coin and currency auction house, will bring more than 6,000 lots of fine coins and currency to Baltimore, Md., for the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo scheduled for November 10-14, 2009. There are nearly 2,600 U.S. lots and close to 3,500 World lots. The auction will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center and begins with lot viewing Tuesday, November 10, through Saturday, November 14, coinciding with the seven-session auction on Thursday, November 12, through Saturday, November 14. The complete auction and lot viewing schedule is available at www.bowersandmerena.com.

"Bowers and Merena has presented many successful auctions in 2009, including two earlier Official Baltimore auctions and two Official ANA auctions, and I am very pleased to finish 2009 with our largest auction of the year by number of lots crossing the block," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena auctions. "With more than 6,000 lots in the auction, including the incredible Globus Collection and many highlights, this is an auction that will offer something for everyone, be it U.S. or World, coins or currency."

The spotlight lot of the auction is lot 3685, a High Condition Census 1830 BD-1 Half Eagle, a Gem example of a rare and seldom-offered issue. Cataloged as 1830 BD-1, HBCC-3156, Miller-158. Rarity-6. Large 5D. MS-65 (PCGS), this fine specimen is part of The Dr. Alfred R. Globus Collection of U.S. and World Coins. The extant population for the 1830 Five is a mere 55-75 coins (per John W. Dannreuther, 2006), the vast majority of examples having been wiped out through the widespread melting that claimed most pre-1834 U.S. gold coins. The two die marriages are fairly similar in rarity, although a slight edge goes to BD-1 with only 25-35 coins known to exist. As a fully lustrous and minimally abraded Gem, this gorgeous BD-1 example is high in the Condition Census for both the issue and the die pair, with a PCGS Populations of just one and a mere two finer, both of which grade MS-66.

Dr. Alfred R. Globus was one of America's most renowned numismatic collectors. In addition to the 1830 Capped Bust Half Eagle, Bowers and Merena will present several hundred U.S. and World lots from his collection, including these impressive highlights:

• 1799 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle. Small Stars Reverse. MS-62 PCGS
• 1826 (6 over '5') Capped Bust Left Quarter Eagle. AU-55 PCGS

Additional coin highlights include:

Currency highlights include:

All lots and images in the Bowers and Merena Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo can be viewed online at www.bowersandmerena.com, and printed catalogs are available upon request by calling 800.458.4646. Bidding is open and pre-auction bids are welcome at www.bowersandmerena.com; by e-mail at auction@bowersandmerena.com; by phone at 800.458.4646; by fax at 949.253.4091; and by postal mail addressed to Bowers and Merena, Baltimore November 2009, 18061 Fitch, Irvine, CA, 92614. Interested bidders are also encouraged to view lots in Baltimore November 10-14, 2009, and bid in-person at the live auction, or live online through the Bowers and Merena website. A complete auction and lot viewing schedule is available at www.bowersandmerena.com or by calling 800.458.4646.

Bowers and Merena Auctions was founded in 1983 and has grown to become the world's preeminent numismatic auctioneer with more than half a billion dollars in rare coin and currency sales. They were awarded the prestigious honor of Official Auctioneer for the 2009 American Numismatic Association Conventions in Portland and Los Angeles, in addition to their continued service as Official Auctioneer of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expos three times every year. Bowers and Merena has handled four of the five most valuable United States coin collections ever sold, including the Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Collection, the Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University, and the Norweb Collection. In 2008, Bowers and Merena Auctions acquired Ponterio & Associates, Inc., which now serves as Bowers and Merena's auction division for world and ancient coins and currency. Bowers and Merena Rare Coin Galleries offers direct buying and selling of exceptional quality gold and silver rare coins.

For more information about Bowers and Merena's Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo in November, call 800.458.4646. For media inquiries, ask for President Steve Deeds. Complete prices realized for all past auctions are available at www.bowersandmerena.com.