The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Spring 2023 Expo Auction

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring Expo, will be held March 20-24 & 27-29, 2023, in Costa Mesa, California. Spanning 15 sessions, the sale features significant named collections and numerous rarities across a broad range of categories including Numismatic Americana, U.S. colonial and federal coinage and paper money, and Physical Cryptocurrency. The breadth and quality of the material ensures this will be another landmark Stack’s Bowers Galleries event.

Part III of the Sydney F. Martin Collection, presented in a standalone catalog, will open the Spring 2023 Auction. Martin, a lion of colonial American numismatics, assembled a legendary collection and Part III of the sale, titled The Middle Colonies Sale, includes 1788 Connecticut coppers, New York and related coinages, Immune Columbia, Confederatio and related issues, Maryland coinages (including the second-finest Lord Baltimore Denarium), Virginia and related coinages, Elephant tokens, and American Plantation tokens, among other notable colonial material.

The CAG Set of the Fairmont Collection of $5, $10 and $20 gold coins presents mostly complete runs of both Everyman- and Registry Set-quality federal gold coinage from 1834 forward. The CAG Set is the firm’s fourth stand-alone catalog featuring the Fairmont Collection, following the Hendricks, JBL, and CBL sets offered in 2022.

The main U.S. coins catalog for the Spring 2023 Auction features a wide range of numismatic collectibles, comprising Numismatic Americana, federal and colonial coinage, and physical cryptocurrency. Three major cabinets form the core of the Numismatic Americana and include the Martin Logies Collection, a major focus of which is exonumia bearing Libertas Americana motifs; a selection of medals from Yale University Art Gallery being sold to raise acquisition funds for the University’s Numismatic Collection; and the Crooked River Collection of 1780s and 1790s Washingtoniana.

Federal coinage is well-represented in the Spring 2023 Auction. Especially notable is the James Allaire Millholland Collection, a remarkable selection of Proof and business strike 18th and 19th century U.S. coinage, assembled in the late 19th century by railroad master mechanic and executive James Allaire Millholland. Items from this collection are featured in both the main catalog and in the Rarities Night session. Maintained for years in a wooden cabinet, the Millholland Collection offers a snapshot of late-19th century numismatic habits, when focus was on collecting by date only, before collecting by mintmark came into vogue near the end of the century. Most of the coins exhibit striking toning, a result of their long residence in the handsome oak case custom-made by Millholland. CAC offered its approval to many of the collection’s gorgeous coins. Highlights from the Millholland Collection include an 1856 Flying Eagle cent Proof-63 (PCGS) CAC, an 1877 twenty-cent piece Proof-66 (PCGS), an 1818/5 Capped Bust quarter MS-65+ (PCGS) CAC, an 1865 Liberty Seated silver dollar Proof-66+ (PCGS) CAC, an 1866 Liberty Seated silver dollar, Motto, Proof-66 Cameo (PCGS) CAC, and an 1878 Morgan silver dollar, 7 Tailfeathers, Reverse of 1878, Proof-64+ (PCGS) CAC.

Alongside the Millholland Collection will be found The Abigail Collection, Part III, assembled in the middle of the last century, and offering more than 340 half dollars in the Barber, Walking Liberty, Franklin, and Classic Commemorative series. Stack’s Bowers Galleries offered the first part of the collection in 2020 with Part II crossing the block in Spring 2022. Half dollar highlights from the Abigail Collection, Part III include a 1907-S MS-64 (PCGS), a 1908-O MS-67 (PCGS) CAC, a 1916-S MS-65 (PCGS), and a 1927-S MS-65 (PCGS).

The Roberta and William C. Willner Collection is an exceptional type set of coins of three metals, copper, nickel, and silver, featuring numerous key dates for all series as well as high quality Morgan dollars, one of the collection’s particular strengths. Highlights include a 1919-D Standing Liberty quarter MS-65 (NGC), a 1795 Flowing Hair half dollar, O-130, VF-25 (PCGS) CAC OGH, an 1879-CC Morgan silver dollar MS-63 (PCGS) CAC OGH, and an 1895-O Morgan dollar AU-58 (PCGS) CAC OGH.

The BASH Collection is a nearly complete date set of Draped Bust, Capped Bust, and Liberty Seated half dollars and a comprehensive run of Barber quarters, highlighted by an 1800 Draped Bust half dime, LM-1, EF-45 (PCGS) CAC, an 1899 Barber quarter Proof-67 Cameo (NGC), a 1901 Barber quarter Proof-65 Deep Cameo (PCGS), and an 1857 Liberty Seated half dollar Proof-64 Cameo (NGC).

The RK Long Beach Collection is the All-Time Finest 50-Piece CAC Set of United States Classic Silver Commemoratives on the PCGS Set Registry, with every piece endorsed by CAC and chosen for originality and eye appeal. Highlights include an 1893 Isabella quarter MS-66+ (PCGS) CAC, a 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition MS-66 (PCGS) CAC, a 1922 Grant Memorial, Star, MS-65 (PCGS) CAC OGH, a 1928 Hawaiian Sesquicentennial MS-65 (PCGS) CAC, a 1935 Old Spanish Trail MS-67 (PCGS) CAC, a 1936 Norfolk Bicentennial MS-68 (PCGS) CAC OGH, and a 1900 Lafayette silver dollar MS-65 (PCGS) CAC.

The Ward Collection is a curated gold type set focusing on gold dollars and Saint-Gaudens double eagles, the majority of which earned CAC approval. Highlights include an 1880 gold dollar MS-67 (PCGS) CAC, an 1885 gold dollar MS-67 (PCGS) CAC, a 1923-D Saint-Gaudens double eagle MS-66 (PCGS) CAC, 1926 Saint-Gaudens double eagle MS-66 (PCGS).

The Joyce Collection, assembled in the first half of the last century and making its first auction appearance, comprises Proof coinage and Classic Commemorative half dollars from the 1930s and 1940s. Highlights include a 1938 Walking Liberty half dollar Proof-67 (PCGS) CAC, a 1936 Texas Independence Centennial MS-67+ (PCGS), a 1937 Antietam Anniversary MS-67+ (PCGS) CAC, and a 1938 New Rochelle Anniversary MS-67+ (PCGS).

The Rarities Night Session catalog includes selections from the Millholland Collection, as well as material from many of the above-mentioned cabinets. Of note are further selections from Harvey B. Jacobson Jr.’s remarkable collection of early gold eagles, including a 1799 BD-6, Rarity-5, AU-55 (PCGS), a 1799 BD-9, Rarity-6+, AU-58 (PCGS), an 1803 BD-2, Rarity-7, AU-53 (PCGS) CAC, and an 1803 BD-4, Rarity-6, AU-58 (NGC).

Another standout in this session is a trio of Proof 1886 Liberty Head gold coins, each of which ranks among the finest known of their respective issues. Included are an 1886 quarter eagle Proof-67 Cameo (NGC), an 1886 eagle Proof-66+ Deep Cameo (PCGS) CAC, and an 1886 double eagle Proof-67 Deep Cameo (PCGS). This trio is joined by other noteworthy Proof gold coins such as an 1899 double eagle Proof-65 Deep Cameo (PCGS), and a 1902 double eagle Proof-66 (NGC).

An impressive offering of pattern 1879 four-dollar Flowing Hair Stellas features a gold Judd-1635 Proof-65 (PCGS) CAC, an aluminum Judd-1637 Proof-61 (PCGS) OGH, and a unique white metal Judd-1637 Proof-63 (PCGS) OGH.

The Spring 2023 auction includes two U.S. Currency sessions, one in-person, the other internet-only. Featured are colonial, obsolete, and Confederate paper money, as well as federally-issued currency comprising Bisons, Black Eagles, Portholes, Tombstones, Rainbow Notes, Funnybacks, Lazy Deuces, Woodchoppers, Shinplasters, WWII Overprints, $500s, $1,000s, Specimens, uncut sheets, and errors.

Collectors interested in recent monetary innovation will take note of the Spring 2023 Auction’s Cryptocurrency Session that builds on Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ successful offerings in this category over the past 18 months and is their largest offering of physical Cryptocurrency to date. Of particular note is a pair of special Pattern sets from the Lealana Archives showcasing a variety of experimental finishes and features that did not appear on official production coinage until recent years. Additional offerings from the Lealana series include several very rare varieties of the silver 0.1 BTC, 0.25 BTC, and 0.5 BTC denominations as well as a selection of the 2021 and 2022 “Bitcoin Cent” 0.01 BTC coins that have never before been offered in a Live auction. Presented from the Casascius series are several of the historic 2011 “CASACIUS ERROR” 1 BTC in Brass alongside several Brass 0.5 BTC as well as an exceptional 0.1 BTC in silver graded MS-68 PL (ICG). We are also proud to present an exciting assortment of BTCC coins including a Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS) 1 BTC in silver that marks the first of its type to appear at public auction.

Collectors of virtually any area of U.S. numismatics will find items of interest in the Spring 2023 Auction. Lot viewing will be conducted at the New York City offices (by appointment only) March 7-11, 2023 and in Room 307 at the Baltimore Convention Center March 14-17, 2023 (no appointment needed).

All lots of the auction can be viewed in the online catalog.

For more information visit the Stack’s Bowers Galleries website.