This article was originally printed in the latest issue of Numismatic News.
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An 1856-O gold $20 grading XF-45+ pulled down a bid of $345,000 to lead results at the Heritage Long Beach Signature Sale Sept. 23-26.
The Bullock specimen was graded by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. It turned up in a small accumulation of coins in Ohio, the firm says.
The auction realized $13.4 million.
“We were all quite impressed overall with how these coins performed,” said Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions.
He said competition was heated for the Bullock 1856-O double eagle of which there are 20 or fewer known.
Prices reported here include a 15 percent buyer’s fee.
Sunken treasure in the form of gold bars also brought high prices.
A Kellogg & Humbert 114.65-ounce ingot realized $253,000, while a 23.35-ounce bar from the same firm brought $80,500.
Both were recovered from the S.S. Central America, which sank off the East Coast in 1857.
Selling for $74,750 was an 1891-CC gold $10 in NGC MS-65. An 1848 CAL $2.50 graded NGC MS-61 also realized $74,750.
For more information about this and other auctions, visit the Heritage website at HA.com.
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