An 1870-S Seated Liberty dollar sold for $705,698 in Bowers and Merena Auctions? Baltimore sale.
The dollar was graded VF-25 by Professional Coin Grading Service and was described as the Farouk-Schultz specimen. According to Steve Deeds, president of B&M, only nine 1870-S dollars have been sold at auction and three more are rumored to exist.
Also crossing the block in the Feb. 28-March 1 sale was a 1794 half dime, which realized $232,501. It was graded MS-67 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp.
The 3,220-lot B&M sale, official auction of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention, had total prices realized of $9,538,700.
Gold coins brought some of the top prices among U.S. coins. Among them was a 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition round gold $50, graded NGC MS-66, that realized $172,500.
An 1879 $4 gold ?Stella? of the Flowing Hair design, Judd 1635, Pollock 1832/1833, graded PCGS Proof-62, sold for $138,000.
Double eagles featured a 1910 Saint-Gaudens in NGC Proof-66 that went for $94,300 and a 1908-S in PCGS MS-66 that hit $92,000.
An 1864 $3 gold piece, NGC Proof-66 Cameo, fetched $80,500, while a 1910-S Saint-Gaudens gold $10, NGC MS-66, brought $77,050.
Silver coins were headed by the 1870-S dollar and 1794 half dime already mentioned, and then by an 1884 Morgan dollar, NGC Proof-68* Ultra Cameo, that went for $74,750.
An 1806 Draped Bust half dollar, Overton 116, NGC MS-65* crossed the block for $69,000.
A 1937-D three-legged Buffalo nickel, Fivaz-Stanton 020.2, NGC MS-66, brought $57,500. The same price was realized by a proof 1867 Shield nickel with rays in PCGS Proof-64.
The sale also included world coins and U.S. paper money.
The Carl F. Chirico collection of world pattern coins contributed $2,028,278 toward the world coin session total of $2,155,328.
Among the world coin highlights was a Republic of China silver pattern half dollar of Sun Yat-sen Year 25 (1936). It finished at $46,000.
Top bank note was an 1878 $20 Silver Certificate, Friedberg 307, graded Very Fine-20 by Paper Money Guaranty. It went for $54,050.
All lots are posted at www.bowersandmerena.com.
For more information, see the Web site or contact Bowers and Merena Auctions, 18061 Fitch Ave., Irvine, CA 92614; telephone (800) 458-4646; e-mail address auction@bowersandmerena.com.
