Queller’s 1804 Dollar – PR62 NGC – Leads Heritage’s CSNS Platinum Night Auction

[Dallas, TX] The catalog for the Official Auction of the Central States Numismatic Society convention, containing many NGC-certified rarities, is now posted by Heritage Auction Galleries on their HA.com website. Both the Signature and Platinum Night catalogs have been posted, as well as a significant Currency Auction. The auction is being held in Rosemont, Illinois on April 16-18, 2008.

"In addition to the 1804 silver dollar," commented Heritage President Greg Rohan, "the Queller Family Collection of Silver Dollars 1794-1935 contains many other exceptional coins certified by NGC, including their 1794 $1 (AU58 NGC); 1870-S $1 (XF40 NGC); and their 1853 $1 Restrike (PR65 NGC). Considering the quality, completeness, rarities, and pedigrees, it is no wonder that this has been called the greatest silver dollar collection ever assembled. Additionally, more than 400 consignors have provided tens of millions of dollars of numismatic rarities; this may be the largest Central States auction yet!"

Highlights from Heritage’s Rosemont Central States Signature Auction:

Lot 2000: 1794 $1 AU58 NGC. B-1, BB-1, R.4.
In the Mint Act of April 2, 1792, Congress established a bi-metallic coinage system based on the silver dollar and the gold eagle as the "unit" measurement. All 1,758 dollars dated 1794 coins were minted from a single pair of dies. From The Queller Family Collection of Silver Dollars.

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Lot 2089: 1804 Silver Dollar, Class I "Original," PR62 NGC
The 'King of American Coins,' and quite simply the most famous of all American numismatic rarities. Ex: Chief Coiner Adam Eckfeldt; unknown intermediaries; Henry C. Young, a teller at the Bank of Pennsylvania (c. 1850); Joseph J. Mickley (c. 1858); Joseph J. Mickley Collection (W. Elliot Woodward, 10/1867), lot 1676, $750; William A. Lilliendahl; Edward Cogan; William Sumner Appleton (c. 1868); Appleton estate; Massachusetts Historical Society (1905); Property of the Massachusetts Historical Society (Stack’s, 10/1970), lot 625, $77,500; Chicago collection; Reed Hawn, via Stack’s (1974); Reed Hawn Collection (Stack’s, 10/1993), lot 735, $475,000; David Queller; The Queller Family Collection of Silver Dollars.

Lot 2129: 1870-S $1 XF40 NGC
The rarity and importance of the 1870-S Seated dollar is rooted in the building of the San Francisco Mint and the laying of its cornerstone on May 25, 1870. Ex: Matthew Stickney, sold privately. Likely Colonel E.H.R. Green; James Kelley; Jack V. Roe; James Kelley; Clint Hestor or Charles M. Williams; Menjou Sale (Numismatic Gallery, 1950) lot 2181; Abe Kosoff FPL 1955; Fairbanks Collection of Ben Koenig (Stack's, 10/1960), lot 617; Samuel Wolfson Collection (Stack's, 5/1963), lot 1431; R.L. Miles, Jr. Sale (4/1969), lot 1612, where it brought $19,000; Autumn Sale (Stack’s, 9/1978), lot 345, where it realized $39,000; The Queller Family Collection of Silver Dollars.

Lot 2150: 1853 $1 Restrike PR65 NGC
A magnificent specimen of this rare proof date, among the rarest in the series. Ex: A.J. Ostheimer Collection, (Lester Merkin, 9/1968), lot 350; ANA Auction (Kagin's, 8/1977), lot 1794, $5,600; Robison Collection, Part II (Stack's, 2/1982), lot 1908, which realized $8,000; Auction '82 (Paramount, 8/1982), lot 1747, which realized $6,500; Auction '84 (Paramount, 7/1984), lot 739, which realized $7,975; The Queller Family Collection of Silver Dollars.

Lot 2274: 1804 Quarter, MS65 NGC. B-1, R.4.
This rarity is ex: Colonel Edward Howland Robinson Green, better known as Col. E.H.R. Green -- the son of Henrietta Howland Robinson Green, née Henrietta Howland Robinson (1834-1916), a.k.a. Hetty Green or the "Witch of Wall Street." Ex: Col. E.H.R. Green; Stack's (1945); Jerome Kern Collection (B. Max Mehl, 1950), lot 1385; Eugene Gardner Collection (Stack's, 2/1965), lot 1620; H. Philip Speir estate (Stack's, 3/1974), lot 2; 1975 ANA Sale (Superior, 8/1975), lot 352.

Lot 2313: 1861-O Seated Half Dollar SP64 NGC.
The 1861-O mintage quantity includes 330,000 struck under the U.S. government, 1,240,000 under the State of Louisiana after it seceded from the Union, and 962,633 after Louisiana joined the Confederate States of America. Ex: James A. Stack Collection (Stack's, 3/1975), lot 494.

Lot 2322: 1892-O Half Dollar SP66 Star NGC.
Although this coin was previously unknown and unrecorded, it "carries its own credentials," and is likely a unique product from the New Orleans Mint.

Lot 2344: 1838 Gobrecht Dollar, Name Omitted, Judd-84 Restrike, Pollock-93, R.5, PR65 NGC. 413.2 grains. Silver. Die Alignment IV.
In this unusual die alignment, the center of Liberty's head is opposite the right side of the F in OF. Ex: Norweb III (Bowers and Merena, 11/1988), lot 3776, where it was photographed in Die Alignment I or II orientation.

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Lot 2366: 1893-S Morgan $1, MS67 NGC.
This superlative low-mintage dollar came out of the collections of Norweb and Jack Lee II – two pedigrees that equate to quality, and this is the only MS67 certified by NGC. Ex: Norweb III (Bowers and Merena, 11/1988), lot 3887, where it brought $357,500, a record for any Morgan dollar at that time; David Carter and George Bodway; PCGS Tour Coin, 1990 and 1991; Jack Lee II.

Lot 2405: 1798 Close Date, 4 Berries $2.50, BD-1, MS64 NGC. Breen-6116, BD-1, High R.5.
During the entire twelve-year period (from 1796 through 1807), less than 20,000 Draped and Capped Bust design quarter eagles were minted; all are rare. Ex: Bowers and Merena (9/1984), lot 2432; David W. Akers (Auction '89, 7/1989), lot 1358; Chalkley Collection (Superior, 1/1990), lot 4337; Superior (Auction '90, 8/1990), lot 1249; Superior (Chicago Sale, 8/1991), lot 665; Superior (5/1993), lot 1377.

Lot 2421: 1879 Flowing Hair Stella, PR65 NGC, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833.
America’s $4 coin remains incredibly popular among numismatists; ownership marks a world-class collection.

Lot 2426: 1795 $5, MS63 Prooflike NGC. B-6416, BD-8, High R.5.
Sometimes called a Small Date variety, due to the spacing of the date, this example, formerly in the Bass Collection, is probably the finest known. Ex: Bartle Collection (Stack's, 10/1984), lot 1110; Harry W. Bass, Jr. (Bowers and Merena, 10/1999), lot 715.

Lot 2427: 1795 $5 Small Eagle MS64 NGC. Breen 1-C, Breen-6412, Bass-3034, BD-2, R.6.
The 1795 half eagles were the first gold coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint, from dies prepared by Robert Scot, and this is the finest certified of the variety.

Lot 2436: 1827 $5, MS64 NGC. Breen-6486, BD-1, High R.5.
During the 1820s, the face value of gold coins was less than the value of gold they contained, meaning that few were struck, and most were melted soon after. Only one coin has been certified finer.

Lot 2455: 1899 $5 PR68 Ultra Cameo NGC.
This beautiful coin is tangible evidence that the U.S. Mint, at the end of the 19th century, could produce proof coinage of quality comparable to that of modern issues – and then this coin had the good luck to survive in nearly perfect condition for over 100 years!

Lot 2462: 1915-S $5, MS65 NGC.
This stunning gem half eagle is the finest graded, and may well be the finest known.

Lot 2500: 1871-CC $20, MS64 NGC.
This is the finest known 1871-CC Liberty double eagle, and has been described by David Akers as the finest known specimen, and "truly a one-of-a-kind item."

Lot 2506: 1868 $20, PR66 Cameo NGC.
This is the finest certified Cameo Proof 1868 Type Two Twenty, and is a coin of the utmost rarity and importance, whether to type collectors, date collectors, or to connoisseurs of proof gold.

For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

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This is a guest article from Heritage Auction Galleries. The thoughts and opinions in the piece are those of their author and are not necessarily the thoughts of the Certified Collectibles Group.