IRVINE, Calif. (August 13, 2014) — All eyes in the numismatic world were on Rosemont, Illinois and the ANA’s annual World’s Fair of Money August 5-9, where Stack’s Bowers Galleries held a series of auction events that were memorable for both the content of the sale and the quality of the offerings. The firm’s Rarities Night event showcased the Garrett Class III 1804 dollar, a so-called “restrike,†which soared to $1,880,000 and a resounding round of applause. Q. David Bowers commented, “This is one of my favorite coins. When I catalogued it for sale in The Garrett Collection back in 1980, it brought $400,000, which was then a world record. It was nice to see it again!†Lot 13114, a 1795 Flowing Hair silver dollar from The Lord St. Oswald Sale held in London in 1964, graded Specimen-64 by NGC, drew a lot of attention and sold for an impressive $822,500.
A special consignment of Peace dollar trials also realized impressive results. Formerly owned by Mint Director Raymond T. Baker, whose tenure spanned the design and initial production of the Peace dollar, these coins document an important part of the creation of this beautiful silver dollar series. "We are extremely proud to report that these Peace dollar trials significantly exceeded our pre-sale estimates," said Brian Kendrella, president of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. "Clearly, the historical significance and extreme rarity of these coins were not lost on bidders, something that we worked hard to disseminate to the collecting public during the certification and cataloging of these trials. In fact, only the efforts of the unrivalled team of professional numismatic researchers at Stack’s Bowers Galleries — including experts in both the Peace dollar and pattern series — made the identification and presentation of these coins such a success for our consignor. Our role in bringing these coins and their story to the attention of the wider numismatic market forms part of Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ legacy for groundbreaking numismatic scholarship."
The five coins in this special Peace dollar consignment were offered as lots 13166 to 13170 in our Rarities Night session. The 1922 Modified High Relief Production Trial, Judd-2020, Proof-67 PCGS led the way in prices realized at a remarkable $381,875. The coin is unique for a satin finish example of this design type, and was one of three examples (the others a sandblast Proof and a normal circulation strike) that Philadelphia Mint Superintendent Freas Styer sent to Director Baker to illustrate this modified design.
Several other specialty collections were offered as well, including The Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection of early U.S. gold coins and The Gilded Age Collection of United States Double Eagles. Both collections were well met by the bidding public and offered many highlights throughout. Over $28.7 million in United States and world coins, tokens, medals and paper money crossed the block in this event.
Highlights from the Stack’s Bowers Galleries August 2014 ANA World’s Fair of Money auction include:
Lot 3178. 1877 Indian Cent. MS-65 BN (PCGS). Eagle Eye Photo Seal. Realized $21,150.
Lot 4019. 1881 Pattern Cent. Judd-1665. Rarity-6+. Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS). CAC. Realized $14,100.
Lot 4268. 1928 Peace Silver Dollar. MS-65+ (PCGS). CAC. From The Narva River & Lake Balaton Collection. Realized $21,150.
Lot 4387. 1907 Indian Eagle. No Periods. MS-65 (PCGS). From The Jepson Family Collection. Realized $14,100.
Lot 4416. 1884-CC Liberty Double Eagle. MS-60 (NGC). Realized $14,687.
Lot 11016. 1808 Quarter Eagle. BD-1. AU-55 (NGC). From The Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection. Realized $82,250.
Lot 11058. 1795 Half Eagle. Small Eagle. BD-6. AU-58 (PCGS). From The Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection. Realized $64,625.
Lot 11104. 1797 Capped Bust Right Eagle. Small Eagle. BD-1, Taraszka-7. AU-58 (NGC). From The Dr. James A. Ferrendelli Collection. Realized $164,500.
Lot 12005. 1852-O Liberty Double Eagle. MS-62 (PCGS). From The Gilded Age Collection. Realized $94,000.
Lot 13023. 1793 Flowing Hair, Wreath Cent. S-11B. Lettered Edge. MS-64 BN (PCGS). CAC. Ex: Bullowa. Realized $270,250.
Lot 13027. 1794 Cent. S-48. Starred Reverse. VF-25 (PCGS). Ex: Van Arsdall-Bowers. Realized $129,250.
Lot 13070. 1916-D Mercury Dime. MS-66 FB (PCGS). Realized $58,750.
Lot 13076. 1828 Capped Bust Quarter. B-3. 25/50C. MS-63 (PCGS). Realized $117,500.
Lot 13112. 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. BB-1. VF-35 (PCGS). From Dr. Richard Aghababian’s Early Impressions Collection. Ex: Samuel W. Wolfson. Realized $223,250.
Lot 13146. 1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. Class III Restrike. BB-306. Second Reverse. Proof-55 (NGC). Ex: Garrett. Realized $1,880,000.
Lot 13166. 1921 Peace Dollar. High Relief. Sandblast or Matte Finish, Antiqued. Specimen-64 (PCGS). Ex: Mint Director Raymond T. Baker. Realized $129,250.
Lot 13167. 1922 Peace Dollar. Modified High Relief Production Trial. Judd-2020. Proof-67 (PCGS). CAC. Satin Finish. Ex: Mint Director Raymond T. Baker. Realized $381,875.
Lot 13281. 1932 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. MS-66 (NGC). Realized $99,875.
Lot 13287. (2000)-P Sacagawea Dollar—Muled with a Statehood Quarter—MS-67 (NGC). Realized $117,500.
The next Stack’s Bowers Galleries U.S. coin auctions are set for October 9-11 in conjunction with the first annual PNG New York Invitational and October 29-November 1 in conjunction with the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. Contact a Stack’s Bowers Galleries representative to consign to the next exciting auction opportunity at 800.458.4646 (West Coast) or 800.566.2580 (East Coast).
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s 80-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, The Guia Collection, The Thos. H. Law Collection, and The Robert O. Ebert Collection.
Topping off this amazing numismatic history is the inclusion of the world record for the highest price ever realized at auction for a rare coin, the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar graded Specimen-66 (PCGS) that realized over $10 million, part of their sale of the famed Cardinal Collection. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, with offices in New York, Wolfeboro, Hong Kong, and Paris. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is an Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic conventions, including American Numismatic Association events, the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Professional Numismatists Guild New York Invitational, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, and its April and August Hong Kong Auctions.