During the course of her conversations with Rick Bagg at our office she stated that she had hoped to use part of the auction proceeds to make a down payment on a $220,000 home. After the coins arrived, Rick glanced at them quickly, then telephoned the owner to state that she could without hesitation make an arrangement to purchase the house of her dreams, for her coins would bring much more than the $25,000 or so she needed to sign the home purchase contract.

The collection was duly catalogued and was found to contain a number of pieces in extraordinarily high grade, including a 1923-S Monroe half dollar in MS-67 preservation which, as it turned out, brought nearly $35,000 all by itself! After the sale ended, Dr. Richard A. Bagg telephoned the lady to tell her that the collection had netted her not the $25,000 or so she had hoped for, but a total of $302,000!

Then there are the collections we have auctioned of several past presidents of the American Numismatic Association, including Matt Rothert, M. Vernon Sheldon, .Admiral Oscar H. Dodson, Arthur Sipe, and George Hatie. These distinguished gentlemen enjoyed owning their coins and currency, of course, but they added an extra dimension by becoming involved with people.

The New York City Public Library

When the New York City Public Library decided to auction its collection of rare coins it contacted us. The holding had been gathered over a period of many years, with numerous pieces bearing notations indicating their purchase or donation in the nineteenth century. I had visited the library often in the course of conducting historical research, and it was a dream come true when we were awarded the privilege to sell their world-class numismatic holdings. Particularly interesting to me were the tokens, medals, and other unusual items, including two 1861 Confederate States of America restrike half dollars which were given to the institution in the year they were restruck, 1879, by the person who restruck them, J.W. Scott.