1879 Coiled Hair Stella Soars to $2.13 Million to Lead Heritage’s Record-Filled CSNS U.S. Coins Auction to $26.9 Million

DALLAS, Texas (May 4, 2026) — An 1879 Coiled Hair Stella sold for $2,135,000 to lead Heritage’s April 29-May 2 CSNS U.S. Coins Signature® Auction to $26,918,208 and numerous records.

The result for the 1879 Coiled Hair Stella, Judd-1638, Pollock-1838, JD-1, R.6, PR67 Cameo NGC from the Presidio Collection, Part II, eclipsed the previous auction record of $1,464,000 set at Heritage in January 2026. The 1879 Coiled Hair Stella, listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, is among the rarest and most valuable issues in American numismatics, with just 14 examples documented. Entirely fresh to the market, the coin is tied for finest-certified honors and is the plate coin for the sixth edition of 100 Greatest U.S. Coins.

The record — and the margin by which it surpassed the previous standard for the coin — were indicative of the exceptional results found throughout the auction.

“When legendary coins and knowledgeable, passionate collectors come together, numismatic history can be rewritten, and that is exactly what was witnessed in our Central States auction,” says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President of Heritage Auctions. “The 1879 Coiled Hair Stella that led the event is a perfect example, drawing 59 bids before reaching its record result.”

Another extraordinary treasure from the Presidio Collection, a 1933 Indian Eagle, MS65 PCGS. CAC also reached seven figures when it realized $1,586,000, breaking the previous auction record of $960,000 set in December 2025. One of the great American numismatic rarities of the 20th century, the 1933 Indian eagle is the final year of issue for the Saint-Gaudens design type and is listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins. This example first surfaced in the collection of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., and later appeared in the Floyd Starr and John Kutasi collections before its first public offering since 2008.

The Presidio Collection also produced an 1880 Coiled Hair Stella, Judd-1660, Pollock-1860, JD-1, Low R.7, PR62 NGC that ended at $854,000 — a record for the issue in that grade. One of only a handful of surviving examples of this classic gold pattern rarity, the coin was once a highlight of prominent collections, including those of Jerome Kern and Amon G. Carter. With only 10 examples documented in all grades, the 1880 Coiled Hair Stella remains one of the great prizes of American gold coinage.

An 1880 Flowing Hair Stella, Judd-1657, Pollock-1857, JD-1, R.6, PR65 NGC. CAC from the same collection reached $777,750 — also a record for the issue in that grade. This example, with its Eliasberg pedigree, is one of the finest of its small surviving population and is tied with one other example for the finest among CAC-certified survivors.

The “Pizza Collection” delivered one of the auction’s most important Standing Liberty quarter results when a 1927-S Quarter, MS65+ Full Head PCGS. CAC sold for $610,000, shattering the previous record of $258,500 that was set at Heritage in 2014 and eclipsing the previous auction record for any Standing Liberty quarter of any date; the previous mark of $372,000 was set in 2021 — also at Heritage. Few issues in the series are as difficult to acquire with Full Head detail, and this example had been off the public auction market for 16 years. One of only eight Full Head 1927-S quarters publicly documented in MS65 or finer, it is CAC-endorsed and the only PCGS MS65 Full Head example with a Plus designation.

The Pizza Collection also offered an 1893-S Morgan Dollar, MS63 PCGS, that realized $488,000 — a record for an example in that grade. From a series-low business-strike mintage of 100,000 pieces, the 1893-S is the acknowledged key to the Morgan dollar series and is listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins. Mint State examples remain especially elusive, and the coin offered here is one of just 10 graded MS63 by PCGS, with only 10 finer.

A 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter, Judd-1989, Pollock-2050, R.8, PR61 NGC from the Pizza Collection brought $280,600 in only its second known auction appearance; the result eclipsed the $168,000 total brought by the same coin in 2018. Pattern Standing Liberty quarters rank among the rarest trial coins known, with examples residing only in the Smithsonian Institution and the most prestigious private collections. This example was discovered in 2018 when it arrived at Heritage in an old-time collection, masquerading as a normal 1916 quarter.

Additional highlights included an 1892-S Morgan Dollar, MS65 PCGS from the Pizza Collection and a 1919-D Quarter, MS67 Full Head PCGS, each of which realized $268,400, the latter topping the previous record of $152,750 that had stood since 2012. 

Many of the coins in the auction that drew impressive results came from The Presidio Collection and the Pizza Collection — but not all.

A 1932 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS65 PCGS, brought $244,000, while an 1879 Flowing Hair Stella, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR65 PCGS. CAC closed at $219,600.

Also among the new records:

Complete results can be found at can be found at HA.com/1393