08-08-2013 – 01-01-1970
US Coins Signature ® Auction
‘King of American Coins’ anchors Heritage’s Platinum Offerings
There is no other coin in American numismatics with as storied and famous a history as the Class I 1804 $1, of which only eight exist. Heritage Auctions will be offering the Mickley-Hawn-Queller specimen of the 1804 $1, graded PR62 by both PCGS and NGC, from The Greensboro Collection, Part IV, as the lead lot in its Platinum Night event on Friday, August 9, the centerpiece of the company’s August 8-10 in Rosemont, IL.
Lot 5699: The Mickley-Hawn-Queller 1804 Dollar Class I Original, PR62.
“The Class I 1804 $1 is the undisputed King of American coins,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions, “and it is always an event when one of them shows up for auction. It’s the rare chance for a top collector to add their name, or the name of their collection, to a history that will never diminish in importance. It is, in many ways, numismatic immortality for whoever comes out on top, and we expect there will be many vying for that honor.”
It is widely believed that the 1804 $1 was not minted until about 1834, when the State Department ordered special sets of the coins struck specifically for diplomatic purposes. Records indicated that several of the Class II and Class III 1804 silver dollars were minted after that. In fact, Mint records from 1804 indicated a delivery figure of 19,570 silver dollars, though it is commonly held in numismatic circles that these were all leftover coins dated 1803.
Lot 5971: 1795 BD-5 Draped Bust Eagle, MS65.
Collectors will also be eagerly anticipating the appearance of the ultra-rare 1795 $10 13 Leaves MS65 NGC, the finest known example of this rare die pairing, previously owned by super-collector Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.
“Among all the auction appearances that 1795 $10 pieces have made at Heritage, almost 200 in all, there has never been an MS65 example among them,” said Rohan. “The highest grade 1795 BD-5 $10 Heritage has offered was graded MS61, while we have only offered six MS64 specimens of the date in previous auctions. This is an unprecedented opportunity for an advanced collector to obtain the finest known 1795 BD-5 eagle.”
The collective third highlight of Platinum Night comes in the form of a trio of proof Seated Quarters from The Greensboro Collection, Part IV:
An 1850 Seated quarter, PR68 NGC, an 1853 Arrows and Rays quarter, PR66 Cameo NGC and an 1855-S Arrows quarter, PR64 NGC, CAC. These remarkable proof coins date to before the general availability of proofs in 1858, with the 1855-S being especially distinctive, as it was struck in San Francisco, a branch mint, instead of Philadelphia.
Lot 5795: 1921-S $1 SP65 PCGS. CAC.
Auction highlights continue with a 1921-S “Zerbe” Morgan dollar, SP65 PCGS, CAC, one of just four or five of the type known. These coins were custom-made for Farran Zerbe, who had promoted the Peace dollar, when he learned proofs of the new design would not be struck in 1921 along with an 1851 Schultz & Co. $5, K-1 variety, AU53 PCGS, CAC, a rarely offered private coin from early in California’s statehood, made by the short-lived partnership of Schulz & Co. Fewer than two dozen examples of these coins are known and this specimen was previously owned by Eliasberg.
Additional highlights spotlighting the auction’s featured collections include, but are not limited to:
- 1892-O half dollar, Micro O mintmark, MS63 NGC: /From The Owen Collection, Part I./
- 1921-S half dollar, MS64 PCGS, CAC: From The Zack Fluhr Collection.
Lot 5683: 1794 $1 Fine 12 PCGS. CAC. B-1, BB-1, R.4.
- 1794 Flowing Hair dollar, B-1/BB-1 variety, Fine 12 PCGS: From A Midwest Naval Officer’s Collection of Early Dollars.
- 1895 Morgan dollar, PR64 Cameo NGC, CAC: From The Warsaw Collection.
- 1868 three dollar gold, MS67 Prooflike NGC: From The Anchors Aweigh Collection of Prooflike Gold.
- 1851 Lettered Edge Humbert $50, 887 Thous., 50 on Reverse, K-4 variety, AU58 PCGS, CAC: An Offering From The Liberty Collection.
Here you can find the complete catalog of the U.S. Coins Signature® Auction.