Preview: 2022 Long Beach Expo
Image courtesy Long Beach Expo/Collectors Universe, Inc.
The next major show on the docket for 2022 takes place in February in sunny California. The Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp & Sports Collectible Show is set for Feb. 17-19 at the Long Beach, Calif., Convention Center.
According to organizers, “over 400 of the world’s most important dealers bring their great coins, currency, stamps, sportscards and other collectibles to every Long Beach show.” The expo is held three times per year.
Besides a bustling bourse, a main attraction of the expo will be the superb type set of more than 400 U.S. coins from the acclaimed Tyrant Collection, on display for the first time on the West Coast.
Ranging from 1793 to 1964, many of the historic coins in the exhibit are the finest known of their kind. The centerpiece will be the legendary King of Siam proof set that was originally presented in 1836 by the U.S. State Department to the King of Siam (now Thailand) as a gift on behalf of President Andrew Jackson.
Visitors to the February 2022 Long Beach Expo can see the first West Coast exhibit of the $100 million U.S. Type Set portion of the famous Tyrant Collection. (Image courtesy Donn Pearlman.)
“The entire, incomparable exhibit, entitled ‘U.S. Type Coins from The Tyrant Collection,’ is insured for $100 million,” said Ira Goldberg, CEO of Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, Inc. He is among those who have assisted the coins’ owner in building the collection, often described as the world’s most valuable rare coin collection in private hands. “The display will cover all U.S. types and sub-types, circulation strikes and proofs, from 1793 Liberty Cap half cents through the 1907 Saint-Gaudens Ultra High Relief $20 and everything in between to 1964.”
For complete details, visit www.TheTyrantCollection.com.
In conjunction with the show, Heritage Auctions will conduct its Long Beach Expo U.S. Coins Signature Auction Feb. 24-27.
A 1930-S eagle graded MS-64 (left) and an 1848 CAL. quarter eagle graded MS-62 will be among the highlights of a Heritage auction held in conjunction with the Long Beach Expo. (Images courtesy Heritage Auctions, HA.com.)
A standout offering will be a 1930-S eagle graded MS-64 NGC, from the Long Beach Collection, Part II. The coin was struck when sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ design already had been in circulation for 23 years. In the years in which Indian Head eagles were struck, mintages generally topped 100,000, but the series also had its share of low-mintage issues, including the 1930-S. It comes from a mintage of just 96,000 – most of which were wiped out by mass meltings in the mid-1930s. A small number were available from the Treasury department as late as 1932, but it is likely that few were distributed during the depths of the Great Depression. It is believed that 150 to 200 pieces survive, mostly in uncirculated condition.
From a mintage of just 473 pieces, a 1907 Wire Rim $10 MS-65 PCGS features the famous “NIKE-EIPHNH” (Victory-Peace) bust that was cast between 1892 and 1903. When Saint-Gaudens had an artistic idea that worked, he often would slightly modify and reuse it on other commissions. On the $10 gold piece, the head of Liberty is a direct descendent of the allegorical female figure from the “Victory on the Sherman” monument. The second generation of the Victory, a small-sized reduction of the head only, is actually based on an earlier, unused study for the head. By turning the head of Victory to the side and placing it in a circle, it became St. Gaudens’ figure for Liberty on the ten dollar gold piece. President Theodore Roosevelt made the most significant design modification when he suggested the sculptor replace the laurel wreath with an Indian warbonnet, and then the transformation was complete. The reverse was almost a complete lift from the special 1905 Roosevelt Inaugural Medal with only minor modifications.
An 1848 CAL. quarter eagle MS-62 PCGS is extraordinarily rare – there are just nine graded in 62 and only 16 carrying higher grades. The first delivery of gold from the California gold fields to the Philadelphia Mint was coined into quarter eagles, each with a special mark. That delivery consisted of approximately 228 ounces of the precious yellow metal. California military governor Col. R.B. Mason sent the material to Secretary of War William Marcy who, in turn, delivered the gold to the Philadelphia Mint for quarter eagle production. The identifying mark, “CAL.,” was punched into the reverse after each piece was struck; today, some numismatic students consider these coins to be America’s first commemorative coins. Few of the 1,389 coins produced with the special countermark survive today, and most that do survive show signs of circulation.
For more auction information, visit www.ha.com.
Public expo hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Feb. 17-18, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, when dealer attendance will be limited. General admission is $10. Admission is $5 for seniors age 65 and up and children age 8-16. Children 7 and under attend for free. Admission is good for all three days.
COVID-19 guidelines per the State of California will be in place for the duration of the show. All participants will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test prior to entry, and all attendees will need to wear a mask on-site.
For complete show details, visit www.LongBeachExpo.com.
