Bidding Already at $5,500 For Extremely Rare Dual Serial Number Error $5 Note

Jun 23, 2022 | Announcements, Auctions

Certified by Professional Coin Grading Service, this banknote has mismatched serial numbers and is also missing some serial number digits

(Santa Ana, California – June 23, 2022) – Bidding has reached $5,500 for a strange $5 Federal Reserve banknote that was discovered by alert collector Alex Allis who submitted the bizarre error to Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com). Bidding on the note with both mismatched and several missing serial numbers will close on Sunday, June 26, at GreatCollections (www.GreatCollections.com).

“Errors like this simply don’t turn up every day,” remarked PCGS President Stephanie Sabin.

“Our graders were stunned when they found this remarkable error come through. It speaks volumes about the trust collectors place in our grading and error diagnostics team that PCGS was top of mind for Ms. Allis upon her discovery of this incredible piece.”

“I was a coin collector for many years,” explains Allis, who said she began poring through banknotes during the pandemic when coin shortages stemmed the flow of coinage for her to search through. “Banks would give a thousand $1 bills but not a single roll of coins. I kept my dollar bills I received from change in a separate box, but when I was putting the $5 into the box it demanded my immediate attention.”

She recalls this error specimen feeling to the touch just like a brand-new bill might. “I looked at it about a thousand times. I checked all the usual signs of authenticity for bills.” She adds, “Of course, I didn’t sleep that night!” Recounting a flurry of errands that led her to landing this unusual $5 bill, Allis notes, “That day I went to the bank, grocery store, and a convenience store. I can’t be certain what establishment I received the bill from, but my guess is the convenience store.”

She submitted the error note to PCGS because of her positive impressions of the third-party grading company from having attended coin shows. “I chose PCGS because they are the premier grading service. I have attended shows in the past, and all the people were happy to help and garner excitement for collections.”

Allis says that throughout the pandemic she tried sparking an interest in her kids that might lead to them studying and collecting coins and banknotes. “Although I have had coins and currency put away, the pandemic reminded all of us how fragile life is – and how would my children know what to do with my collection?” She goes on to say, “They are totally engaged now!”

Nearly a decade ago, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) introduced new, state-of-the-art banknote production equipment meant to increase output and tighten quality control. large examining and printing equipment (LEPE systems, as they are known, were installed at both BEP facilities to augment decades-old currency overprinting and processing equipment (COPE) system capacity. This subject $5 error banknote is a product of the relatively novel LEPE system, which had just recently been approved for production of the $5 denomination in 2019.

With new technology comes new potential for the generation of exotic and mysterious mistakes, as evidenced right here. Research into the complicated technical specifics that caused the error continues, although it has been established that an LEPE system setup issue was fundamentally to blame. While it is not yet certain whether that configuration problem was digital or mechanical, accidental or intentional, or something else entirely, what remains wholly clear is that this $5 error type is guaranteed to induce jaw-dropping, breathtaking, and head-scratching reactions everywhere it goes.

About Professional Coin Grading Service

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified more than 50 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of over $49 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.

Fresh-to-market SS Central America treasures in Goldberg’s June 2022 auction

Jun 20, 2022 | Announcements, Auctions

First-time offerings of California Fractionals and other important items recovered from the legendary “Ship of Gold”

(Los Angeles, California) June 20, 2022 – California Gold Rush-era treasures recovered from the fabled “Ship of Gold,” the SS Central America that sank in 1857, will be offered for the first time in the Pre-Long Beach auction by Goldberg Coins & Collectibles (www.GoldbergCoins.com) on June 27, 2022.

The auction includes 15 of the finest condition California Fractional Gold coins offered to date from the legendary sunken treasure, a 51.78-ounce Justh & Hunter assayer’s gold ingot. and one of the finest known surviving 1854 New Orleans Mint Seated Liberty quarter dollars that was retrieved from the purser’s safe on the ship.

“The SS Central America is a time capsule of the California Gold Rush. Each of the treasure coins in the auction is housed in a special PCGS holder containing gold dust from miners’ pokes that were also recovered from about 7,200 feet below the Atlantic Ocean’s surface,” explained Larry Goldberg, co-owner of Goldberg Coins & Collectibles in Los Angeles.

“The California Fractionals being offered for the first are the finest quality coins released to date from the 103 found during the 2014 recovery mission. There are some beautiful gems and prooflikes,” said Dwight Manley, managing partner of the California Gold Marketing Group which consigned the sunken treasure items to the auction.

Highlights of the auction session include:

Justh & Hunter 51.78 oz gold bar

• 1856 Octagonal Liberty gold half dollar, Breen and Gillio-311, graded PCGS MS-66 PL;
• 1856 Round Liberty Head gold half dollar, Breen and Gillio-434, PCGS MS-65 Plus;
• 1854-O Arrows At Date, Huge O Mintmark, Seated Liberty quarter dollar, PCGS AU-55;
• Justh & Hunter 51.78-ounce, 889 fine gold bar. It was stamped by the Gold Rush-era assayers with its value at the time of creation, $951.57. Its current value is estimated at between $150,000 and $200,000.

The SS Central America was a 280-foot long, three-masted side-wheel steamship carrying what Life magazine later called “The Greatest Treasure Ever Found,” tons of California Gold Rush-era gold coins and assayers’ ingots. She sank in a hurricane about 150 miles off the North Carolina coast in September 1857.

The Goldberg’s Pre-Long Beach auction will be conducted June 26-29 with the SS Central America coins offered as lots number 747 through 764 in the June 27 session. The entire auction catalog with lot descriptions and color photographs can be found online at https://auctions.goldbergcoins.com/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/92. Printed copies of the catalog are available for $15 each postpaid.

For additional information, contact Goldberg Coins & Collectibles at 310-551-2646, by email at info@GoldbergCoins.com, or visit online at https://GoldbergCoins.com.

NGC-certified Coin from Famous Shipwreck Offered in MDC Monaco Auction

Jun 2, 2022 | Announcements, Auctions

An array of rare ancient and world coins certified by NGC, including a coin salvaged from a shipwreck off the Florida coast, are being offered in an upcoming auction. Online bidding is currently underway for Monnaies de Collection Monaco’s Auction No. 9, with sessions concluding June 3–4, 2022.

The top NGC-certified lot is a gold coin recovered from the wreckage of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet that sank off the coast of Florida during a hurricane. The Mexico 1715MO J “Royal” 8 Escudos is graded NGC MS 62 with Large Rosettes on Reverse and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 1110).

Intended for important dignitaries, Royal coinage was struck on special planchets that are markedly different than the crude cobs typical of Spanish colonial mints of this era. Only a few dozen examples of Royal 8 Escudos from all dates are known. This one has a starting price of €250,000 (about $260,000).

Another top NGC-graded lot is a coin that depicts a young Queen Victoria and is regarded by many as the most beautiful in British numismatics. The Great Britain 1839 Una and the Lion 5 Sovereign is graded NGC PF 62 Ultra Cameo (lot 927) and has a starting price of €150,000 (about $156,000).

Learn more →

NGC-certified Chinese and British Rarities in Highly Anticipated April Sale

Apr 22, 2022 | Announcements, Auctions

NGC is proud to have certified many of the greatest rarities in Chinese and British numismatics, some of which are being featured in an auction presented by Taisei Coins and The Royal Mint. Bidding is already underway for the sale, which will be held April 29.

The highly valuable Chinese coins include a 1927 Chang Tso Lin Silver Dollar graded NGC MS 62, with an Eduard Kann Collection pedigree that was recently re-established by NGC. Another coin is an 1867 Shanghai Tael — With Rays, graded NGC PF 63+. It’s a rare survivor from a group that was mostly melted after the design was rejected by the Chinese government.

Learn about the sale’s Chinese coins →

Meanwhile, the sale includes an extremely rare Henry VII Sovereign that was hand-struck in gold over 500 years ago. Only two examples of this coin are known to be in private hands, and bidding for this one starts at ¥100,000,000 (about $800,000). The sale also features another great British rarity, an 1817 Three Graces Silver Pattern.

Learn about the sale’s British coins →

The auction, being held amid the Tokyo International Coin Convention, includes exciting NGC-certified coins from many other countries as well. Another spectacular lot is a German New Guinea 1895A 10 Marks graded NGC PF 65 Cameo and pedigreed to the Paramount Collection.

Learn about the sale’s other coins →

HOLABIRD WESTERN AMERICANA COLLECTIONS, LLC IS HOLDING A WESTERN AMERICANA AUCTION, LIVE AND ONLINE, THRU APRIL 24th

Apr 22, 2022 | Announcements, Auctions

The auction contains hundreds of lots in a wide array of collecting categories, at price points that will appeal to both novices and veteran collectors alike. Important collections will be sold.

RENO, Nev. – Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC’s four-day Western Americana Auction begins today, April 21st, and runs through April 24th, with start times each day of 8 am Pacific time. The auction will be held online, via several platforms, as well as live in Holabird’s gallery located at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno. Hundreds of collectible lots will come up for bid.

Today’s offerings – 597 lots in all – will feature three major collecting categories: art, with just under 100 lots set to cross the auction block; Native Americana (a popular staple at Holabird auctions), featuring 65 lots; and the day’s star category – philatelic, with 52 lots of first day covers, 172 lots of postcards and 71 lots of stamps. Nearly 300 lots of philatelic will be sold.

Day 2, Friday, April 22nd, will be super-busy, with categories that include jewelry, attire, bottles, toys, circus, gaming, liquor, tobacciana, menus, the entertainment industry, sports, calendars, advertisement, autographs, photography, maps, transportation, militaria, firearms and weaponry, general Americana (geographically sorted) and miscellaneous collectibles – a total of 637 lots.

A top lot in the firearms and weaponry category is lot #2502, a trapdoor Springfield Model 1870 rifle, a full-length two-band musket of which only 1,000 were made. The model is recognized by the rear sight up against the receiver; the second model has the rear sight about one inch from the receiver. This would be a fine restoration project for a collector. It has an estimate of $300-$500.

Trapdoor Springfield Model 1870 rifle, a full-length two-band musket of which only 1,000 were made. This would be a fine restoration project for a collector (est. $300-$500).

Also offered on Day 2 is a rare, unissued Bodie Bank (Calif.) stock certificate from the 1870s. The Bodie Bank was formed in 1878. It was taken over in 1890 by JS Cain (est. $100-$200). Also, an ADLAKE (short for “Adams and Westlake”) non-sweating red and blue lens lamp, 16 inches tall, should reach $200-$300. ADLAKE did business in Chicago and Elkhart, Indiana.

Day 3, April 23rd, will also see brisk activity. The categories will include mining, fossils, minerals, tokens and numismatics (which will feature bullion, ingots, coins, currency, dies, ephemera, foreign and medals and exonumia (numismatics, but other than coins and paper money; examples are tokens, medals and scrip). All combined, Day 3 will offer 628 lots.

One of the undisputed star lots on Day 3 promises to be the US Mint San Francisco 23.06-ounce silver ingot, 999.75 fine, sizable at 2 ¼ inches by 3 ½ inches, with original Mint patina strong throughout (est. $5,000-$9,000). Also sold will be a 5-cent token for the J. F. Hope saloon in Empire, Nevada, round and made of brass, 25mm in diameter, from circa 1890 (est. $100-$200).

Day 3 will also feature numerous lots of Chinese viewing stones. For millennia, Chinese and other Asian cultures have appreciated the exquisite beauty of special stones gathered from nature. They are now widely named viewing stones by connoisseurs, collectors, and hobbyists who enjoy and share their appreciation of their simple aesthetics and sometimes fanciful beauty.

The auction’s final day, Sunday, April 24th, will contain over 600 lots, to include stocks and bonds (mining, railroad, etc.), advertising, advertising, tobacciana, 3D collectibles, toys and model railroading, photography, postcards, more philatelic, stamps, stocks, maps, general Americana and the ever-popular bargains and dealer lots, which account for 388 lots alone).

Lot 4234 is a group of seven prints by the famed Western artist Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), each one rolled up and with metal clasps on the top for wall hanging (est. $300-$400). Russell created over 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Indians and landscapes set in the Western United States and in Alberta, Canada, in addition to bronze sculptures. He was known as “the cowboy artist”.

Lot 4234 is a group of seven prints by the famed Western artist Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), each one rolled up and with metal clasps on the top for wall hanging (est. $300-$400).

Also offered on Day 4 is a group of six vintage Auto Club of Southern California maps, for Bishop, Mina, Mono County, Tonopah and Goldfield (est. $70-$120); as well as a collection of around 350 colorful labels for large cans (jams, cherries, oats, salmon, pumpkin, figs, pears, apples, macaroni, etc.), about 5 inches by 20 inches each and great for framing (est. $250-$400).

Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. Also, anyone owning a collection that might fit into an upcoming Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels extensively throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections.

Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC is always seeking new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,000 lots sold since 2014.

To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to fredholabird@gmail.com. o learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and the four-day Western Americana Auction that runs from April 21st thru April 24th, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted often.

Skinner Unveils the Joys of a Lifetime Collection in Major AmericanCurrency Sale

Mar 30, 2022 | Announcements, Auctions

The online sale is the first in a series of auctions showcasing the complete holdings of a major collector of American coins, with nearly every item in The Red Book represented.

MARLBOROUGH, MA – Skinner Auctioneers will host an online auction of Coins & Currency from March 27, 2022 – April 6, 2022. The sale’s hundreds of featured lots all derive from the estate of a New England antiquarian who amassed a formidable collection of coins in the course of over 70 years. This auction includes mint products from the early to modern United States, including certified coins, nickels, dimes and half-dimes of rare and exceptional quality.

The accumulation of a devotedly personal collecting hobby, which is itself a time-capsule of the priorities and practices of the American coins market over the past several decades, Skinner’s upcoming auction is a bounty of fine specimens of historical currency—a broad field, loaded with many hidden gems. Exemplary of the collection’s quality and care is an 1891 Carson City Liberty Head Eagle of Near-Mint Condition (est. $1,500-2,500). This $10 gold piece was one of the largest denominations available to the public at the time, minted in extremely limited runs and largely circulated between banks. Its rarity is compounded by its Carson City provenance, a short-lived U.S. mint that epitomized for many the hopes and harmonies of the American West. Skinner Coins Specialist David Donahue notes that a preponderance of special Carson City coins will be featured in this sale alongside this eagle.

An 1817 Capped Bust Half Dollar, Choice Uncirculated (est. $500-800), epitomizes the great care and sharp eye characteristic of this fine collection. The obverse capped bust of Lady Liberty, long a collectors’ favorite, and the rearing eagle on reverse each bear an exemplary level of detail and quality, notwithstanding the 205 years since this coin was initially struck. With many fine details hand-punched into the dies, this is an ideal coin with which to study the minute variations and detail-work of the iconic capped bust. Once the most-circulated large silver coin of its day, the quality of this lot at auction is a rarity and a special occasion. An 1868 “Missing Leaf” Shield Nickel, Gem Uncirculated (est. $300-500) is another widely cherished coin for its signature idiosyncrasy—an olive leaf missing from the engravature around the Shield of Liberty on the obverse. This coin is still in such fine condition as to allow for the study of its several die cracks.

The collection goes back to the late 18th Century, with a 1795 Flowing Hair Half Dime, Good (est. $600-900) as an early representative example. One of the first silver coins that the U.S. Mint put out, the half dime had a limited mintage to begin with, making for even fewer survivors today. The flowing hair of Liberty represents one of the first federally authorized depictions of her. Additionally, two 1875 Twenty Cent Seated Liberties, Semi-Prooflike/Extremely Fine (est. $250 & $350, respectively), gesture at the unfixed nature and history of numismatics itself. Seen here with different levels of eye-catching toning, these coins were stored for several decades in paper envelopes, the acid of which altered their faces in lustrous, ruddy hues. Made for only two years and discontinued due to their resemblance to the quarter, and having now outlived the period in which cleaning and polishing were common in archival treatment, these Seated Liberties are emblematic of the long and winding road of history and its preservation over time.

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.

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.