NGC-Certified Coins Show Incredible Strength at September Heritage Long Beach Auction

NGC-Certified Coins Showed Incredible Strength at the September Heritage Long Beach Auction

Coins certified by NGC across many series starred in Heritage’s record-setting Long Beach Signature^® Auction, held Sept 17–21, 2008, at the Long Beach Coin Expo; at $35.4 million, this was the most valuable auction Heritage has held in two decades of Long Beach events.

"Among the NGC-certified rarities sold at Long Beach auction," commented Heritage President Greg Rohan, "was the auction’s most valuable item, Lot 3571, an 1879 $4 Stella (Judd-1635, Pollock-1833) with Flowing Hair, certified by NGC as PR 65 Cameo, which realized $204,125. One of the most fascinating lots in the auction, the newly discovered error rarity (Lot 3227, an 1831 Quarter Eagle struck on a dime planchet) graded Good 6 by NGC, achieved $46,000. In spite of the turbulent week on Wall Street, the results of the Long Beach auction demonstrate that collectors are still very excited about numismatic items!"

NGC-certified highlights from Heritage’s Long Beach Signature Auction:

http://www.HA.com/1116-401004&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 1270: 1915-S $50 Round Panama-Pacific MS 64 NGC. Realized: $103,500.
Designer Robert Aitken’s fifty dollar commemorative continued the classical allusions of the renaissance that began with Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1907, and also celebrated the recovery of the "City by the Bay" from the devastating Great Earthquake and Fire.

http://www.HA.com/1116-401005&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 1271: 1915-S $50 Octagonal Panama-Pacific MS 64 NGC. Realized: $92,000.
This is a wonderful realization of Aitken’s design, with brilliant luster cascading from the surfaces, which are predominantly orange-gold on each side.

http://www.HA.com/1116-1402&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 1300: 1903 Jefferson Gold Dollar, PR 67 Ultra Cameo NGC. Realized: $34,500.
One of two gold commemoratives struck to help offset the cost of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, held in St. Louis to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this monumental event.

http://www.HA.com/1116-405004&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 1555: 1792 Half Disme, Judd-7, Pollock-7, R.4, VF 35 NGC. Realized: $92,000.
The famous 1792 Half Disme is one of the most coveted issues in all of American numismatics, and is rightly an important piece of history as well as a numismatic rarity.

http://www.HA.com/1116-405022&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 2164: 1839-O 50C Capped Bust, Reeded Edge PR 63 NGC. Realized: $149,500.
Relatively little is known about this enigmatic issue, one of the hidden jewels of the numismatic world, but two things are certain — they are indubitably specially struck coins and there are only four confirmed examples in existence. The current auction is a landmark event in that we are offering two pieces! The present specimen is the Breen Proof Encyclopedia Plate Coin. Ex: Krouner Collection; George Byers Collection.

http://www.HA.com/1116-451006&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 2247: 1849 50C PR 66 NGC. Realized: $86,250.
We believe this piece, ex: Pittman, is the finest of just six or seven 1849 Proof half dollars currently traced. From The Malibu Collection.

http://www.HA.com/1116-5001&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 2476: 1859 $1 PR 67 Star NGC. Realized: $63,250.
One of the two finest certified with Star designation, of some 800 dollars initially struck in Proof format in 1859.

http://www.HA.com/1116-228001&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 3227: 1831 $2.50 Quarter Eagle Struck on a Dime Planchet, Good 6 NGC. Realized: $46,000.
This is undoubtedly the most strikingly obvious and interesting error we have ever handled, all the more fascinating because it circulated for decades without notice.

http://www.HA.com/1116-5122&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 3351: 1875 $2.50 PR 65 Ultra Cameo NGC. Realized: $48,875.
Since both business Strikes and Proofs of the 1875 Quarter Eagle are low-mintage issues, at 400 pieces and 20 specimens respectively, the already-small population of Proof survivors faced added pressure from numismatists seeking a business-strike substitute. None certified finer.

http://www.HA.com/1116-443001&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 3571: 1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, PR 65 Cameo NGC. Realized: $204,125.
The 1879 $4 Stella is often considered the most popular gold pattern of all time, except for those who collect them as part of the regular coinage as well!

http://www.HA.com/1116-395041&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 3646: 1844-D $5 MS 64 NGC. Realized: $40,250.
Gold was discovered in the Appalachian regions of Georgia and North Carolina during the 1820s, and several private mints were established near the gold fields to allow the miners to avoid the risk and expense of shipping their gold over land to Philadelphia. This is a breathtaking coin, with none certified finer.

http://www.HA.com/1116-329021&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 3783: 1887 $5 PR 64 Cameo NGC. Realized: $63,250.
The 1887 Proof five has the easy-to-remember mintage of the last two years of the date, that is, 87 pieces.

http://www.HA.com/1116-367014&type=PRNGC-092908a
Lot 3817: 1796 $10 AU 55 NGC. Breen-6832, Taraszka-6, BD-1, R.4. Realized: $80,500.
The only known die pair for coinage of 1796, with mint delivery records indicating 6,934 Eagles coined in 1796.

For more information about Heritage Auction Galleries, visit coins.ha.com, or contact the Heritage Consignor Hotlines at 800-872-6467, ext. 1000 (Coins) or ext. 1001 (Currency).

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.