Rare gold to Lincoln cents contributed to an approximately $14 million auction conducted March 27-31 in Baltimore, Md., by Heritage Auction Galleries.
Highlighting the Signature Sale was a $322,000 price achieved by a 1795 gold $10, 13 Leaves, graded MS-63 by the Professional Coin Grading Service.
The catalog notes it has a mintage of 5,583 and that there are five different die marriages known for the date, with the BD-1, which this coin is, as the most common.
Heritage notes that in his work, Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties, John Dannreuther estimates a total surviving population of 225-325 examples of the BD-1 variety in all grades.
A Lincoln cent broke into the top ranked lots with a bid of $86,250. The coin is a 1969-S with a doubled-die obverse graded MS-63 Red by the Professional Coin Grading Service. Only between 17 and 32 examples of this coin are believed to exist, according to Heritage.
Commenting on overall results, Greg Rohan, Heritage president, said, “I’d say it’s even on the high side of what we had hoped to accomplish with this event.
Another noteworthy result was achieved by an Indian Head gold $5 graded Proof-68 by the Numismatic Guaranty Corp. It fetched $109,250. Just 78 were struck and the catalogers note that this coin is tied for the single finest proof known to PCGS and NGC.
A 1794 silver dollar graded Fine-12 by PCGS was bid to $106,375.
Bringing $92,000 was a 1930-S gold $10 in PCGS MS-66 and a 1907 Wire Rim gold $10 graded MS-65 by PCGS realized $69,000.
A 1797 half dollar graded VF-25 by PCGS and stickered by CAC was hammered down for $58,650 and another one graded VF-30 by NGC brought $54,625.
For more information, visit the firm’s Web site at www.HA.com.
