Gold slug tops sale

This article was originally printed in the latest issue of Numismatic News.
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An octagonal 1851 Humbert $50 gold slug, 880 Thous. No 50 on Reverse, K-2, R.5, graded MS-63 by the Professional Coin Grading Service, brought $546,250 at the Aug. 11 Platinum Night offerings of Heritage Auction Galleries and highlighted three auctions conducted during the show.

It helped buoy the overall U.S. coin results to $34 million. When adding in the results from the Heritage world coin and paper money sales, the firm says it achieved a new record of over $46 million for a Heritage ANA event.

All prices here include a 15 percent buyer’s fee.

“I’d categorize the auction results as quite strong indeed,” said Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions.

Heritage said, the Farouk-Norweb 1915 pattern Panama-Pacific half dollar in gold, Judd-1960, formerly Judd-1793, Pollock-2031, High R.8, graded Proof-64 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp, was the second highest selling lot at $460,000. It is one of just two known.

A bid of $416,875 captured a Colonial 1652 New England shilling, Noe III-C, R.6., from the Dwight N. Manley Collection. It was graded AU-50 by PCGS with CAC sticker.

Billed as the only Saint-Gaudens $10 gold piece that the famous artist actually saw, a 1907 Wire Rim, Plain Edge, Judd-1902, formerly Judd-1774A, Pollock-1996, R.8, piece grading NGC that is believed to be unique with the plain edge, inspired bidding to reach $359,375.

“We believe this specimen is the sole surviving representative of the plain edge 1907 Indian eagle pattern, although a second example may still exist,” said Rohan. “We know that two plain edge patterns were struck in July 1907, with one sent to Treasury Secretary George B. Cortelyou and forwarded to President Theodore Roosevelt, and the other sent to Saint-Gaudens.

Although we are unable to say which of the two coins the present specimen is, it is highly likely that this is the coin sent to Saint-Gaudens, which gives it the special cachet of being the only actual coin of his design that the sculptor personally saw. All other Indian eagles and all of the Saint-Gaudens designed double eagles were struck after the artist died on Aug. 3, 1907.”

Fetching $322,000 was a 1796 quarter graded PCGS MS-65. The B-2, R.3, Ex: Norweb Collection rarity is thought to be one of a dozen examples thought to still exist, the firm says.

Attracting an identical $322,000 bid was a PCGS MS-67 1931 gold $20. It is labeled the finest known of this, the second rarest date of the series, by the cataloger.

An AU-58 1797 half dollar, O-101a, Granberg-Atwater-Hawn specimen, topped out at $253,000. The Draped Bust, Small Eagle half dollar bearing the dates 1796 or 1797, come from a mintage of 3,918 pieces, about 250 of which have survived, the firm notes.

Collectors who filled Whitman albums in their hobby careers should note saw an example of the key 1916-D Mercury dime bring $195,000. The coin is tied in the ranking of finest certified at MS-67 Full Bands the cataloger noted.

For more information about the sale, visit the website at HA.com.