It was the largest sale ever for American Numismatic Rarities, with $12,837,735 changing hands.

Up for auction on March 14 in Baltimore were offerings of the New York Connoisseur?s Collection, the Dale Friend collection of Liberty nickels, the Richard Jewell collection of commemorative coins and other properties. One of the top lots was a Mint State 1854 Kellogg $20 gold piece, thought to be the single finest known specimen struck for circulation, according to the ANR cataloger.

Graded MS-64 by Professional Coin Grading Service, the piece opened at $130,000 and sold for $310,500.

The collection included gem-quality coins that had been off the market for up to four decades.

Star of the large cents in this sale was a 1793 Sheldon-3 Chain cent graded AU-55 by PCGS. It realized $101,200.

A group of Large Eagle silver dollars was offered in Session II, including pieces from the Thaler Collection Registry set. Realizing $149,500 was an 1802 BB-24, graded MS-65 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp.

A number of coins sold for six figures, including a $4 Stella in the sale, graded Proof-65 CAM by PCGS, sold for an eventual $218,500. Tied with the 1854 Kellogg $20 for the highest price realized was a PCGS MS-63 1795 $10 from the Oliver Jung collection that brought $310,500, more than $80,000 more than the same coin realized in 2004.

The next ANR auction event is slated for Rosemont, Ill., in June. For information about consigning, contact Dr. Richard A. Bagg or John Pack at 866-811-1804 or by write to them at P.O. Box 1804, Wolfeboro, NH 03894. Additional results from this and other ANR sales can be viewed at the company?s Web site, www.anrcoins.com.