Gold Hot in Heritage's May 2008 Long Beach $26.5 Million Auction Top prices realized of $161,000 were reached by two very different coins in Heritage Auction Galleries' May 28-30, 2008 Signature® in Long Beach
The 1796 half cent is the classic rarity of the denomination; from a mintage of just 1,390 coins, perhaps 10% exist today. Ex: Julian Leidman; Jim McGuigan; Benson Collection Sale (Goldberg Coins, 2/2002), lot 32; Stuart Levine (2/2002). From The Colonel Steven Ellsworth Collection of U.S. Half Cents.
http://www.HA.com/1108-20003&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 799: 1794 Dollar VG10 PCGS. Realized: $115,000
Of the mere 1,758 pieces struck, approximately 125 individual examples have been traced today, making this first dollar an essential rarity. Ex: John N. Brooks Collection (United States Coin Co., 12/1914), lot 17. From The Northwest Collection.
http://www.HA.com/1108-128129&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 306: 1820 quarter dollar PR64 NGC. B-1.
Realized: $97,750
A beautiful Choice proof with lovely golden-brown, jade-green, honey-gold, and lilac-gray toning. Ex: Auction '89 (Superior, 7/1989), lot 566, From The Silbermünzen Collection.
http://www.HA.com/1108-128103&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 321: 1866-S quarter dollar MS66 PCGS. Briggs 1-A.
Realized: $97,750
This is the finest certified example, of only 28,000 pieces struck; housed in a first generation holder, it apparently has not appeared at auction since it was encapsulated, and twenty years after it was first graded, it remains the single finest certified example. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
http://www.HA.com/1108-128060&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 651: 1839 No Drapery half dollar, MS64 NGC. WB-101.
Realized: $92,000
The 1839 No Drapery half is popular both with type collectors (as a one-year subtype in the series) and Seated coinage enthusiasts (as a first year of issue among Seated Liberty halves). Ex: Chalkley (Superior, 1/1990), lot 3565. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
http://www.HA.com/1108-128151&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 743: 1892-O Micro O half dollar MS65 NGC.
Realized: $92,000
This legendary rarity was known as early as 1893, when Augustus G. Heaton mentioned it in his landmark treatise, Mint Marks. He wrote, "there is one rare variety of this piece [the 1892-O half] with an exceedingly small o, hardly larger than a period." Ex: Moreira Sale (Superior, 1/1989), lot 4524; Jascha Heifetz Collection (Superior, 10/1989), lot 3770. From The Silbermünzen Collection.
http://www.HA.com/1108-12010&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 2047: 1792 Roman Head Cent, Baker-19 PR61 Brown PCGS.
Realized: $92,000
The notoriety of the famously rare Roman Head cent was enhanced by Breen's description of its history in his Encyclopedia. Only two have been certified finer. From The Liberty Collection of American Colonial Coinage, Part Three.
There is an unintelligible undercoin below the weakened 1739 date. Ex: Stack's Henry Da Costa Gomez Collection, Part Two, 6/2004; lot 4004.
http://www.HA.com/1108-134002&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 2138: 1776 Continental Dollar, CURENCY, Rare Early Die State, Pewter, MS62
PCGS. Newman 1-C, Hodder-1.A2, Breen-1089, R.3.
Realized: $92,000
The same die pair was used to strike all Continental Dollars that contain the blundered legend CURENCY, but Eric Newman assigned two additional reverse varieties for the two recut reverses.
http://www.HA.com/1108-128075&type=prte-pr060208a
Lot 295: 1818 quarter dollar MS66 PCGS. B-3, R.2. Breen Die State II.
Realized: $80,500
A magnificent Premium Gem with gorgeous cherry-red, lime-green and canary-gold toning, it is highly probable that this is the finest 1818 Browning-3 in
