A 1934 $10,000 Bill Sells for $480,000 at Heritage's $415.5 Million Long Beach Expo Numismatic Event
A Fr. #2231-A $10,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ soared to a record $480,000 to lead Heritage’s September 13-15 Long Beach Expo US Currency Signature Auction. The currency event reached $7,313,357, while the coins event broke several records and totaled $8,232,232. The combined total of the two events was $15,545,589.
The fact that the 1934 $10,000 finished atop the Currency auction is not a huge surprise because of the consistent interest shown in banknotes with the largest denominations.
Fr. 2231-A $10,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ
According to Dustin Johnston, Vice President of Currency at Heritage Auctions, “Large denomination notes always have drawn the interest of collectors of all levels. The $10,000 trails only the $100,000 gold certificate issued in 1934, and of the 18 examples graded by PMG, this example is tied for the highest-graded. Among all small-size $10,000 FRNs, PMG has graded only four equal and five higher, so this is an absolute prize that will command a share of the spotlight in its new collection home.”
A Fr. 2221-G $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note PCGS Banknote Choice Unc 64 serial number G00000998A posted a winning bid of $300,000, which is a record for the assigned grade. This banknote had not come to the auction market since Heritage’s September 2007 Long Beach auction.
Fr. 2221-G $5,000 1934 Federal Reserve Note. PCGS Banknote Choice Unc 64
A Fr. 1133-D $1,000 1918 Federal Reserve Note PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ from the Thomas Collup Collection brought $228,000. Tied for the finest-graded of all large-size thousands, regardless of type, this note is the first time Heritage ever has offered a 1918 $1,000 at this grade level.
Fr. 1133-D $1,000 1918 Federal Reserve Note PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ
A beautiful Fr. 187j $1,000 1880 Legal Tender PMG Very Fine 30 Net brought in a winning bid of $192,000. It features a vignette of ‘Columbus in His Study’ and a portrait of DeWitt Clinton, who was governor of New York during the years of 1825-28. He had also served three earlier stints as the mayor of New York City. Track & Price lists 15 different serial numbers for this Friedberg number with only one part of an institutional collection, but only half of those 14 Fr. 187j notes have appeared at auction in the past 25 years.
Fr. 187j $1,000 1880 Legal Tender PMG Very Fine 30 Net
A Fr. 167b $100 1863 Legal Tender PCGS Banknote Choice Fine 15 Details closed at $72,000. It is one of only two known examples. A popular note type, it features the heraldic Spread Eagle vignette, engraved by Joseph P. Ourdan on the left—hence the note’s “Spread Eagle” nickname. “Spread Eagle” $100s are intrinsically American and have been coveted by numismatists for decades. There are only two examples known of this Friedberg number, and fewer than five dozen reported across all varieties for the type.
Fr. 167b $100 1863 Legal Tender PCGS Banknote Choice Fine 15 Details
Other top lots from the Currency event include, but are not limited to:
§ A Fr. 302 $10 1908 Silver Certificate PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ $78,000
§ The better of two known examples of a Richmond, VA- Commonwealth of Virginia $500 Sep. 25, 1861, Cr. 1861-B PMG Choice Very Fine 35, from the collection of Neil A. Chiappa: $66,000
§ A Fr. 122 $10 1901 Legal Tender PMG Superb Gem Unc 67 EPQ from the Thomas Collup Collection: $66,000
§ A La Crosse, WI - $2 1875 Fr. 391 The La Crosse National Bank Ch. # 2344 PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQfrom the Collup Collection: $52,800
§ A Fr. 1132-K $500 1918 Federal Reserve Note PMG Extremely Fine 40 EPQ — one of only five known 1918 Dallas $500 FRNs: $52,800
§ One of just 11 known examples of a Fr. 172 $100 1880 Legal Tender PMG Choice Uncirculated 63: $51,600
Complete results for the Currency event can be found at HA.com/3593.
