California gold did well in Heritage Auction Galleries? Aug. 8-10 sale at the Milwaukee, Wis., American Numismatic Association convention.
A Humbert octagonal gold $50 slug, 880 THOUS variety with 50 on the reverse and lettered edge, Kagin 1, graded MS-62 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp., was top lot of the sale. It sold for $287,500 to a floor bidder.
A second octagonal Humbert $50 slug, 880 THOUS variety without 50 on the reverse, K-2, graded NGC MS-63, brought $264,500. An Internet bidder won the lot.
And a third Humbert $50, again octagonal but the 887 THOUS variety with 50 on the reverse, K-4, graded NGC MS-62 went for $207,000 to an Internet bidder.
Overall, the 3,500-lot auction realized $27,386,314. The Platinum Night session alone contributed $19.4 million to that total. All prices reported here include buyer fees.
?The incredible Pacific Rim Collection, featuring 15 $50 Territorial slugs ... brought exceptional prices, as did Part One of Phil Kaufman?s superlative collection of early Seated proof sets (1839-1858),? said Greg Rohan, Heritage president.
An 1853 Seated Liberty quarter with arrows and rays, called Proof-66 Cameo by NGC, from the Kaufman consignment, sold for $276,00 to a bidder on the Heritage Web site.
Saint-Gaudens $20s were headed by a 1920-S graded MS-65 by Professional Coin Grading Service. Sale catalogers cited a PCGS census of three 1920-S $20s seen in MS-65, two graded finer. This one brought $264,500 from a floor bidder.
A 1798 dollar with small eagle reverse and 13 stars, graded PCGS AU-58, crossed the block for $230,000, selling to a floor bidder.
An 1879 $4, one of the Flowing Hair Stellas, graded PCGS Proof-65 Deep Cameo, hit $207,000.
A floor bidder took home an 1794 Flowing Hair half dollar, PCGS AU-58, for $204,125. Sale catalogers said this may be the finest known of the Overton 106 variety.
$184,000 won an 1804 Bust dime, 14 stars on the reverse, in NGC AU-58.
The same bid was required for a floor bidder to win a restrike 1853 Seated Liberty dollar, NGC Proof-66* Cameo, from the Kaufman collection with lineage to the John Pittman collection.
$184,000 was paid a third time, for a 1927-S Saint-Gaudens $20 in PCGS MS-66. Catalogers noted a PCGS population report of two graded MS-66, one finer.
Continuing post-auction buys, combined with the results of an online Final Session, are expected to bring total prices realized for all auctions to nearly $29 million.
For more individual prices realized see Heritage?s Permanent Auction Archives at www.HA.com.
For more information, contact the firm at 3500 Maple Ave., 17th Floor, Dallas, TX 75219; telephone (800) 872-6467.
