All That Glitters Will Be Gold in LRCA’s Las Vegas December 16th Regency Auction 49

Nov 5, 2021 | Announcements, Auctions

Three anchor consignments feature very important gold offerings

(Red Bank, NJ—November 2, 2021). Boutique numismatic auction house, Legend Rare Coin Auctions, will close out its 2021 Regency Auction series with a major event on Thursday, December 16. Four “named” collections will anchor the sale, and three of these focus on gold coins. This powerful offering represents the largest and most impressive selection of gold coins the firm has ever offered.

The first is Cody’s Collection, a PCGS Registry Set of 19th-century gold type coins. Complete save for two pieces, this collection is all PCGS and all CAC-approved. The collection, built over a decade and a half, is from a long-time customer of Legend Numismatics and Legend Rare Coin Auctions. Each coin in the set was clearly hand-picked for superb visual quality on top of outstanding technical quality for the assigned grades. Highlights include:

• G$1 1855 PCGS MS66+ CAC
• $2.50 1829 PCGS MS64 CAC
• $5 1811 Small 5. PCGS MS64+ CAC
• $5 1834 Capped Head. Crosslet 4. PCGS MS63+ CAC. Ex Eliasberg/Pogue
• $10 1803 PCGS MS63+ CAC

The second consignment is a selection of early gold coins, mostly quarter eagles from the Naples Collection. This low seven-figure grouping is small but incredibly powerful and every coin would be a highlight for any auction sale. To have these coins together makes the offering all the more incredible. This is another collection assembled by a long-time Legend Numismatics customer who is selling off selections from his early gold collection. Further selections will be offered in Regency Auction 50 in January 2022. Highlights include:

• $2.50 1796 Stars. PCGS AU55
• $2.50 1807 PCGS MS62 CAC
• $5 1796/5 PCGS MS62 CAC Ex. Eliasberg
• $10 1797 Small Eagle. PCGS AU55

The third collection is the Big Cypress Collection. This collection has nice selections of early quarter eagles, half eagles, and eagles, as well as partial sets of Carson City mint half eagles and eagles. While some of the coins are Mint State, most are in collector friendly grades of VF-AU, and all are graded by PCGS. Highlights include:

• $2.50 1805 PCGS AU55
• $5 1795 Small Eagle. PCGS AU55
• $10 1872-CC PCGS XF45 CAC
• $10 1876-CC PCGS XF45
• $20 1863 PCGS AU53 CAC

Gold, gold, and WOW better gold!” said Laura Sperber, founder of Legend Rare Coin Auctions, “As strong as the overall coin market was this past year, quality rare gold coins have mostly remained in hiding, frustrating dealers and collectors alike. We will have one of the best selections of rarities offered this year in our December Regency Auction. The timing could not be better!”

The auction will take place on Thursday, December 16th, in conjunction with the PCGS Members Only Show taking place at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Full descriptions and photos will be posted to www.legendauctions.com shortly. For further information, contact LRCA at info@legendauctions.com or 732-935-1168.

Skinner’s September Coins and Currency Sale Will Present an 1812 $5 “Capped Bust” half-eagle—estimated at $18,000-$20,000

Sep 16, 2021 | Announcements, Auctions

The sale features a diverse selection of American, foreign and ancient coins as well ascoins from rare mints, including Carson City, Charlotte, New Orleans.

MARLBOROUGH, MA – Skinner Auctioneers will host an auction of Coins and Currency with online bidding open from September 14-21, 2021. The sale will feature a diverse selection of American, foreign and ancient coins, with the majority of the sale representing U.S. coins from the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly early denomination gold. The sale is notable for its representation of type coinage as well as a range of domestic coins from rare mints, including Carson City, Charlotte and New Orleans.

The centerpiece of the sale is an 1812 $5 “Capped Bust” half-eagle, estimated at $18,000-$20,000, and minted just in advance of the War of 1812. Given that much of the early 19th-century gold has been melted and many coins were shipped overseas during this period, this coin is considered extremely rare. Its authenticity was certified by a third party in the 1980s and it has stayed in protective plating since then.

Also represented is a 1905 U.S. Liberty Head Quarter Eagle proof, estimated at $12,000-$14,000. This limited-series coin is in choice condition, and only 144 proofs of this version were originally struck. The remaining U.S. coins represented in this auction range from 1798 to 2011, with the exception of a 1652 Pine Tree shilling—estimated at $800- $1,200—the first coin minted in the United States during colonial times. Because only the king had the power to issue coins, the colonies were held hostage to very low circulation of hard currency during the early years, with all trade dependent on England. Massachusetts took advantage of a crisis of succession in 1652 – after Charles I was beheaded and before King James had been crowned – to begin minting currency for domestic circulation, an act of rebellion. This coin remains a powerful symbol of early American independence and audacity.

The sale will also highlight coins from Rome, Greece and ancient India. The most famous of these coins is the Athenian Owl tetradrachm, estimated at $600-$800, which remains among the most recognizable coins of the ancient world.

About Skinner

Skinner attracts top consignments and commands record-breaking prices in the international auction marketplace. With renowned expertise and extraordinary service, Skinner is the place for buyers, sellers and the passionately curious. Skinner appraisers are familiar faces on PBS’s 19-time Emmy Award-nominated ANTIQUES ROADSHOW. Visit us in Boston, Marlborough, New York, Maine, Florida, or online at https://www.skinnerinc.com.

S.S. Central America Sunken Treasure World Gold Coins in Goldberg Auction

May 21, 2021 | Announcements, Auctions

First offering of these historic coins retrieved in 2014 from Atlantic Ocean site where fabled “Ship of Gold” sank in 1857

(Los Angeles, CA) May 19, 2021 – Two of the finest known, very rare 1855 and 1856 Australian sovereigns as well as an interesting mix of 74 other sunken treasure gold coins from Europe and South America that were also recovered from the fabled “Ship of Gold,” the S.S. Central America, will be offered in an auction by Goldberg Coins & Collectibles (www.GoldbergCoin.com). The auction will be conducted in Los Angeles and online, June 13-16, 2021.

“These 76 gold pieces were among 82 world gold coins retrieved during the 2014 recovery expedition to the Atlantic Ocean site where the legendary ship sank during a hurricane while sailing to New York City in 1857,” said Larry Goldberg, co-owner of the auction company. “This is the first time these recovered sunken treasure coins from Australia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, France, Great, Britain, Netherlands, Peru, and Spain have been offered.”

The Australian 1855 Sydney Mint gold Sovereign, Fr-9; KM-2, now graded PCGS MS-62+, was made during the first year of that mint’s operations. An 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereign, Fr-9; KM-2, now graded PCGS AU-58, also was incredibly recovered.

“It is fascinating to think how these coins got to San Francisco where their journey to New York began. Were they carried by an Aussie miner seeking his fortune during the California Gold Rush or acquired as winnings in a gold camp poker game? Those two coins were onboard when the SS Central America went down 164 years ago,” said Dwight Manley, managing partner of the California Gold Marketing Group which consigned the 76 recovered world gold coins to the Goldberg auction.

Among the other especially notable world coins recovered in 2014 and in the auction are:

• Great Britain 1852 Queen Victoria Sovereign, S.3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1, PCGS MS-63+;
• Great Britain 1855 Queen Victoria Sovereign, S.3852D; Fr-387e; KM-736.1, PCGS MS-62;
• Costa Rica 1855 JB 1/2 Escudo, Fr-10; KM-97, PCGS MS-63;
• France 1855-A Napoleon III 20 Francs, Fr-573; KM-781.1, PCGS MS-61;
• Netherlands 1840 (Utrecht) King Willem I 10 Gulden, Fr-327; KM-56, PCGS MS=63+; and
• Spain King Ferdinand VII 1809 (Seville) Draped Bust 2 Escudos, Fr-304a; KM-456.1, PCGS AU-50, the oldest-dated gold piece recovered from the famous ship

Each of the PCGS-certified world coins is encapsulated in a specially-produced and labeled holder that contains a pinch of recovered S.S. Central America gold dust in a separate compartment. The insert labels include a statement of authenticity hand-signed by Bob Evans, the chief scientist on the 1988-1991 missions that first located and recovered portions of the fabulous treasure and assisted with the 2014 recovery. Evans wrote the introduction to the auction catalog’s section on these coins.

“The S.S. Central America treasure is a remarkable time capsule of economic practices in 1857, representing a specific, important moment in United States and world history: the outflow of wealth from Gold Rush California along the commercial artery that was the Panama Route… The treasure illustrates that world gold coins were an integral part of California and international trade during this exciting decade of burgeoning commerce in the 1850s,” explained Evans.

The S.S. Central America was a 280-foot long, three-masted side-wheel steamship carrying tons of California gold that had been shipped from San Francisco to Panama when she sank on September 12, 1857 hurricane during the final leg of a voyage from Aspinwall (now Colón), Panama to New York City. The tragedy took the lives of 420 of the ship’s 578 passengers and crew members, and the loss of the gold cargo was a major factor in the economically devastating financial panic of 1857 in the United States.

The treasure was recovered from the seafloor of the Atlantic, 7200 feet down about 150 miles off the North Carolina coast.

For additional information about the auction, contact Goldberg Coins and Collectibles by phone at (310) 551-2646, by email at info@GoldbergCoins.com and online at www.GoldbergCoins.com.

Royal Mint To Auction Incredibly Rare, 500-year-old Tudor Coin in Digital Auction

Feb 7, 2021 | Announcements, Auctions

The Royal Mint has today (Thursday 4th February) announced they have acquired an incredibly rare, 500-year-old, gold Sovereign and the coin will be put up for auction early next month.

The Royal Mint’s historic coin experts have sourced a Type 2 Henry VII Sovereign, one of a select few in the world that are not held by a museum. The Henry VII Fine Gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings is the earliest gold Sovereign a collector can own and there are only two examples in private ownership, making it a rare and historic addition to a collection. Struck more than 500 years ago, this exceptionally rare coin was created to assert the authority of the first Tudor king of England through its splendour and impressive weight and size. Bids will open at £950,000 for the sought-after coin.

Famous for making new coins, The Royal Mint successfully expanded into the sale of rare, historic coins two years ago. The company now helps customers track down rare examples to add to their collection, and authenticate coins on the secondary market using their unique experience in British coinage.

Rebecca Morgan, Divisional Director of Collector Services, comments: “We are delighted to have acquired such a rare coin which traces its history to the first Tudor king. The survival rate of these gold coins is miniscule, and this particular coin is the earliest example of a gold Sovereign that a collector can own. Our experts have checked and validated the coin, and there are just two left in private ownership – making this an incredibly exciting addition to a collection.

Rebecca Morgan with Henry VII sovereign

Rebecca continues: “The Royal Mint was originally based at The Tower of London, and this coin would have been hand struck on ‘Mint Street’ – which still stands today. What makes this coin even more fascinating is that we can trace its ownership back to the 1800’s. One notable owner of the coin was the world-renowned banker J. P. Morgan, who owned the coin until his death in 1913 with subsequent sale in 1915.

“We have seen many customers buying historic coins to bring purpose to their collection, either as an investment for the future or an heirloom to pass onto the next generation. Our Collector Services division is growing year on year, and with 1,100 years of expertise, the team here at The Royal Mint can help enrich and enhance any coin collection. We set the record for the sale of a British historic coin at £1 million last year – so who knows, perhaps this might beat the record.”

The gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings was first introduced in the reign of the first Tudor King, Henry VII (1485-1509) 1489 over 500 years ago. The coin depicts the crowned Tudor King seated on a wooden throne, in robes, holding an orb and sceptre, the reverse shows the quartered shield of England upon a Tudor rose. Henry VII started the Tudor dynasty and was determined to cement his position. He was the father on the infamous Henry VIII, and grandfather to Elizabeth I.

The coin was acquired by The Royal Mint’s Collector Services division, that offers a range of services including authentication and valuation, accessories to care for and display treasured pieces, an unrivalled coin finder service, providing the safety and security of 1100 years of knowledge to go out into the secondary market and find the missing pieces from collections, help to fill the gaps or find that one rare piece a customer has always wanted.

Coin Specifications

• This coin was commissioned by Henry VII to be produced from 28th October 1489, over 500 years ago
• The Sovereign was the largest hammered gold coin of the Tudor period, approximately 40mm across in diameter, a millimetre thick, at a weight of approximately 15.3 grammes.
• The coin was issued in gold of approximately 23 1/3 carat fineness (0.995 fine)
• The coin has been assessed and graded by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation as “AU50” guaranteeing the state of preservation to be “almost uncirculated 50”
• The chain of ownership of this coin can be traced back to the Victorian era through six, named collectors.

How to Bid

The online auction will take place on 4 March 2021 and those wishing to bid will need to pay a £20,000 deposit*. This is the first in a series of online auctions that will be held by The Royal Mint and there is no buyer’s premium. If you would like to take part in the auction as a bidder or observer, take note of the following steps and register your interest by midnight on Monday, 1 March 2021.

To register, visit www.royalmint.com/auction/

*Please note that the £20,000 deposit is fully refundable to bidders who are unsuccessful in acquiring the coin at auction.