Four Russian gold medals garnered the most money, but a 1652 Pine Tree shilling attracted strong interest in a $976,000 Coin Galleries auction on April 19.
That total does not include 15 percent buyers? fees. Coin Galleries, a subsidiary of Stack?s, is still totaling those amounts.
The sale took place in New York City.
Graded choice very fine by the cataloger, the shilling brought $3,500.
?There was a broad range of type coins,? said John Burnham, senior numismatist for the firm. ?There was a nice section of Venezuelan coins that did well and ancients did well.?
A curiosity mentioned by Burnham included an undated silver Good Samaritan sixpence that is a muling of a Wyatt Good Samaritan Shilling obverse and a Wyatt Pine Tree Sixpence obverse. The ungraded piece fetched $1,850.
?This is probably among the restrikes from Wyatt?s dies made by Edwin Bishop of New York. It is not known how many of each muling were made by Bishop, but they are undoubtedly very rare,? writes the cataloger.
Fetching a high total among U.S. coinage was a 1911-D gold $2.50 piece, graded about uncirculated by the cataloger. It was hammered at $3,800.
?This piece has about uncirculated or better sharpness and in terms of wear is a strong candidate for choice quality,? writes the cataloger. ?Key date, the lowest mintage of the type with only 55,680 struck.?
Another U.S. highlight was a 1799 large cent, graded Fine-15 or better details by the cataloger, that brought $2,000. The Sheldon number for the coin is 189.
A slew of U.S. nickels was included in the sale. One of the highlights was a 1936 nickel, graded gem brilliant proof by the cataloger.
?A superb example with delicate russet toning over deeply reflective surfaces,? writes the cataloger. ?A lovely example of this popular proof type coin.?
Among the Russian gold medals, a 1787 gold Catherine II Imperial Visit to the Volga Regions medal, graded extremely fine or finer by the cataloger, brought $55,000. It was the top lot in the sale.
An 1829 gold Russo-Turkish Peace of Adrianople medal, graded choice about uncirculated by the cataloger, realized $49,000.
For more information on this sale, visit www.stacks.com.
To contact Coin Galleries or Stack?s, call (212) 582-2580, send a fax (212) 245-5018, or (212) 582-1946, or write to 123 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019-2280.
