Bowers and Merena's Boston Rarities Auction Exceeds $9.3 Million in Sales

Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world's preeminent auctioneers for rare coins and currency, realized an impressive $9.3 million at its Boston Rarities Sale on August 7. The sale, conducted in two sessions with 1,750 lots, featured the rare condition census #4 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar that sold for $1.2 million.

"We are extremely pleased about the results of the Boston Rarities Sale which saw spirited bidding in all areas of U.S. coinage," said Greg Roberts, CEO of Bowers and Merena Auctions. "We had tremendous bidder interest with an outpour of praise about our catalog and offering, long lines that formed outside the lot viewing room, and most importantly, active participation in the auction room. The market as a whole is very 'quality conscious' these day, and Bowers and Merena was proud to offer an impressive array of coins that enticed fierce competition between bidders."

Along with the 1794 Silver Dollar, the Boston Rarities Sale included several prominent collections including the Ostheimer Specimen of the 1870-S Seated Liberty Silver Dollar, Platinum Star PCGS Registry Set of Two-Cent Pieces and Fontaine Collection. The Ostheimer Specimen of the 1870-S Seated Liberty Silver Dollar, the fourth-finest of only nine coins in existence, realized $632,500. With record prices for many of the pieces, The Platinum Star PCGS Registry Set of Two-Cent Pieces featured coin was an 1873 Two-Cent Piece, closed 3, PR67 Red in a PCGS secure holder that realized $52,900.

The Fontaine Collection, which had opening bids totaling $82,000, brought more than three times that amount with final prices realized of more than $265,000. All 25 coins in this collection were PCGS certified in first-generation holders and CAC-certified. The star of the collection was lot 1430, the Eliasberg Specimen of the 1850 Gold Dollar, sold for $54,625 in PCGS/CAC-certified MS67.

Additional PCGS highlights of the Bowers and Merena August 2010 Boston Rarities Sale include:

• Lot 247, 1873 Two-Cent Piece, Closed 3, PCGS PR67 Red (PCGS), Secure Holder $52,900
  From the Platinum Star PCGS Registry Set of Two-Cent Pieces
• Lot 647, 1922 Grant Memorial Commemorative Half Dollar, Star, PCGS MS67 (PCGS),
  CAC-certified Secure Holder$43,125
• Lot 1304, 1899 Morgan Silver Dollar, PCGS PR68 CAC-certified $48,875
• Lot 1416, 1853 United States Assay Office of Gold $20, K-18, PCGS MS64, CAC-certified,
  OGH-First Generation $40,250 from the Fontaine Collection
• Lot 1645, 1812 Capped Bust Left Half Eagle, BD-1, PCGS MS65 Secure Holder $97,750
• Lot 1796, 1910-D Indian Eagle, PCGS MS67 CAC-certified $86,250
• Lot 1812, 1851-O Liberty Double Eagle, PCGS MS62 CAC-certified, $48,875
  From the Horseshoe Collection
• Lot 1854, 1879-O Liberty Double Eagle, PCGS AU53, $43,125
  From the Horseshoe Collection

For a complete list of prices realized for Bowers and Merena August 2010 Boston Rarities Sale, visit the firm's Web site at www.bowersandmerena.com or call toll-free at 800-458-4646. Bowers and Merena hosts its next auction at the Baltimore Coin and Currency show in November which will feature U.S. coins and paper money, as well as world and ancient coins and paper money.

About Bowers and Merena Auctions

Bowers and Merena Auctions was founded in 1983 and has grown to become one of the world's preeminent numismatic auctioneers with more than half a billion dollars in rare coin and currency sales. They continue their 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 and Ponterio & Associates, or to consign to an upcoming auction, call 800-458-4646. For media inquiries, ask for Senior Numismatist Steve Deeds or Executive Vice President Rick Ponterio. Complete prices realized for all past auctions are available at www.bowersandmerena.com.