Heritage Auction Galleries? May 28-30 auction at the Long Beach Expo features early silver dollars, Colonial and Continental pieces, high-grade type rarities and Steven Ellsworth?s half cents in its more than 3,800 lots.
Two 1794 Flowing Hair dollars are offered in the sale, one graded VG-10 by Professional Coin Grading Service and the other PCGS VF-30. The lower grade dollar comes from the Northwest collection and has a pedigree that traces back to the John N. Brooks collection, sold in 1914. The VF-30 piece is described by Heritage catalogers as ?an original coin? that exhibits Die State III, ?the most frequently seen die state.?
The sale goes on to offer 10 1795 Flowing Hair dollars and seven more 1795 Draped Bust dollars, as well as at least 40 more 18th century dollars.
An 1800 Draped Bust ?Dotted Date? dollar is offered. The nickname for this variety comes from the evidence of die damage, including rust pits and die chips, that show up on the coin looking like dots, particularly by the first ?0? in the date. The piece is graded MS-66 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp.
A proof 1846 Seated Liberty dollar, PCGS Proof-65, shows blue, brown and gold toning, and an 1871-CC Seated dollar in NGC AU-58 is described as one of ?the best that nuimsmatists can hope to acquire ... one of the most attractive representations of that category.? Census for the 1871-CC is reported as five in AU-58 with four finer.
Gold coins number near 1,000 lots in the auction. Among highlights is a 1907 Saint-Gaudens $10 with wire rim and periods graded NGC MS-67. These were not issued and are considered patterns by many, but had a mintage of 500 pieces and are often collected as part of the series.
Territorial gold includes a prooflike C. Bechtler $5 with star, Kagin 20, graded NGC MS-63; an 1860 Clark, Gruber & Co. $10, Kagin 3, in PCGS MS-62; and a prooflike 1855 Wass, Molitor & Co. round $50, Kagin 9, in NGC MS-61 with Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker.
A half dollar section holds a 1796 15-star Draped Bust small eagle half in NGC AU-55, an 1825 half in ANACS VF-20 called only the third example known, an 1839 no drapery Seated Liberty half in NGC MS-64, a proof 1841 in NGC Proof-64 and a 1915-S Barber half in PCGS MS-67.
Quarters include an 1818 Bust quarter in PCGS MS-66, a rare proof 1820 Bust quarter in NGC Proof-64, an 1866-S Seated example in PCGS MS-66 and a toned 1891-O specimen, graded NGC Specimen MS-65 and described as one of only two specimens known.
Presented in its own catalog is the Col. Steven Ellworth collection of half cents, some 120 lots of the denomination with dates from 1793 to 1857, including some restrikes. These are to be auctioned May 29. A highlight is a 1796 with pole in PCGS AU-55. Of it, catalogers said it ?has reflective fields on both sides, with excellent luster. Aside from the usual minor abrasions resulting from brief circulation, the surfaces are exceptional. Slight weakness is evident at the center of the reverse, but all other design elements are bold.?
Offerings from the Liberty Collection of American Colonial coinage, Part 3, include Nova Constellatio coppers; Fugio cents; Willow Tree, Oak Tree and Pine Tree coinages as well as Hibernia and Sommer Islands pieces. The collection also includes many George Washington pieces, such as a 1792 Roman Head cent in PCGS Proof-61 Brown, Baker 19, and a gold 1799 funeral urn medal, Baker 166, in NGC AU-55.
A New York Theater penny token, which catalogers said is one of 13 known, will cross the block. It is graded PCGS Proof-64 Brown.
Heritage will also offer more than 3,000 lots of world coins and paper money in a separate sale at the Long Beach Expo.
To order the sale catalog, call (800) 872-6467, ext. 1150, or order online at Web site www.HA.com/Catalog.
Lots are shown with enlargeable color photos at www.HA.com.
For more information, contact Heritage Auction Galleries, 3500 Maple Ave., 17th Floor, Dallas, TX 75219.
