Not to be outdone by displays of some legendary rarities, Superior Galleries’ Santa Clara, Calif., Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo auction realized $1.56 million.
One of the four known proof 1803 Draped Bust silver dollars and what some consider to be the finest known set of Stella $4 gold pieces attracted the news media and the public to the Nov. 17-20 Santa Clara Expo.
“We had newspaper and Associated Press photographers and television camera crews came to take pictures of the coins, and I did several interviews with radio stations about the exhibits,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo general chairman. “A total of 3,851 collectors and dealers attended the show.”
The 1803 proof dollar was displayed by Steven L. Contursi, president of Rare Coin Wholesalers of Dana Point, Calif., and the Stellas were exhibited by Superior Galleries of Beverly Hills, Calif..
Superior was the official auctioneer of the Santa Clara Expo.
Top sellers in the auction included a 1797 $2.50 Capped Bust with stars on the obverse that went for $276,000. The piece was graded MS-64 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. Also, a 1915 Panama Pacific gold $50 octagonal, graded MS-65 by NGC, sold for $106,950.
To view prices realized from the sale, go to www.sgbh.com.
Among the educational programs, eBay, a co-sponsor of the Santa Clara Expo, presented two seminars for collectors and dealers on “Buying & Selling on eBay,” and the Cupertino Coin Club, co-sponsor of the Santa Clara Expo, displayed educational exhibits on various numismatic topics.
The next Santa Clara Expo will be conducted March 30 to April 1, 2006 in the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5100 Great America Parkway.
For additional information about the event, contact Expos Unlimited by calling (805) 962-9939 or by writing to: 1103 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
To learn more about the show, visit www.SantaClaraExpo.com.
