Auction Highlights

Welcome to this edition of Auction Highlights, where we share some very interesting coins and a banknote that all recently sold at auction. As always, it is extremely difficult to narrow down which items to shine the light on, as there are so many great coins and banknotes to choose from, but here are the ones that made the selective cut!

1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle, PCGS XF40

This is an extremely rare issue and one of the major stoppers for most collectors who are assembling a collection of Carson City Double Eagles. Although the mintage is reported at 3,789 examples, most of the coins circulated heavily and many of them have been lost or damaged over the years. Today, it is estimated that only about 50 to 75 examples survive in all grades combined. Collectors cannot be picky when it comes to this issue, as all confirmed examples are in circulated condition. Most specimens are in VF to XF grades, and anything grading higher is considered extremely rare. On October 7, 2021, a special PCGS XF40-graded example was sold by Heritage Auctions for an astonishing $360,000 – a strong and deserving price for a remarkable coin with a historical provenance. Besides this coin being very rare, its provenance has also been linked to the coin being passed down for five generations and traces back to one of its first owners in the 1870s. 

1913 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, PCGS PR66

Another double eagle tops our list of auction highlights this issue! This 1913 Saint-Gaudens Proof Double Eagle has a very low mintage believed to me somewhere about 50-90 coins, with only 30 to 40 examples estimated to survive in all grades combined. The proof coins from this year also have a special sandblasted proof finish, making them particularly attractive to collectors. Along with boasting one of the most beautiful designs ever struck on a U.S. coin, this 1913 Saint-Gaudens Proof Double Eagle has several factors making a special coin, including rarity and outstanding surfaces. In August 2021, Stack's Bowers Galleries offered an example of a 1913 Saint-Gaudens Proof Double Eagle graded PCGS PR66 at auction that fetched a record $336,000.

1902 First National Bank Red Seal Lyons/Roberts $10, PCGS VF20

This $10 1902 First National Red Seal banknote from Palo Alto, California, bearing the Lyons and Roberts signatures is very rare. PCGS was honored to encapsulate this example, assigning it a grade of VF20. Despite the banknote being over 100 years old, it still looks quite attractive, and all colors and design elements remain well pronounced. This amazing rarity sold at a GreatCollections Auction in September 2021 for an impressive $24,187.