1970 Pontiac GTO ("The Judge") roars off for $25,875 at Tim's, Inc. auction A 1970 Pontiac GTO (“The Judge” – one of the most iconic muscle cars of the muscle car era) sped off for $25,875 at a Fall Sizzler Estate Extravaganza Auction held Sept. 30 and Oct. 7 by Tim's, Inc.
Conn., with wooden works, made circa 1820s, chimed on time for $863; a set of five oil paintings, all of fox hunts and rendered by F. Crooke, in gold gilt frames, sold for $2,460; a beautiful vintage 16-inch 18kt gold necklace with 50 pennyweights of gold totaling 2 ½ gold troy ounces hit $3,420; and a heavy ladies’ size Elgin pocket watch garnered $720. Other jewelry pieces also did well.
“Shelf lots” – complete shelves of like items, such as cut glass, crystal or Hummel figures – typically sold for around $200 per shelf, plus the premium. One intriguing multiple lot was a group of early letters, with French stamps from the 1840s and ‘50s, plus an early hand-stitched baseball, that commanded $468. Also, a Winchester cast-iron cannon ignited the crowd for $661.
Gold and silver coins proved to be enormously popular, both with live bidders and those participating online. Gold, in particular, did extremely well. A 1907 gold $20 St. Gaudens coin, graded MS 63, brought $2,136, while a 1924 gold $20 St. Gaudens coin realized $2,041. Also, a 2006 U.S. one-ounce gold coin made $1,984, while a 1910 Indian Head $2 ½ gold coin hit $390.
An 1895-O $10 Liberty Head gold coin went for $926, while an 1882 $10 Liberty Head gold coin breezed to $960, a 1986 French 100-franc gold coin garnered $840, a 1945 British Armaco 4-Pound gold coin climbed to $1,955, a 1945 UK brilliant uncirculated gold coin fetched $1,725, and a group of three 1988 UK gold proof coins changed hands for $1,150.
A set of nine 1983 gold Chinese half-ounce Panda coins averaged $1,020 each. The very last lot of the Oct. 7 session, in fact, was a Chinese gold half-ounce Panda coin that just squeaked past the $1,000 mark, bringing $1,002. Other gold coins included a Mark Twain commemorative gold coin ($1,668), a 1901 Liberty Head cold coin ($1,002) and a 1915 $5 Indian Head ($449).
As for silver coins, a complete set of Mercury dimes (to include the key date 1916-D) coasted to $870, an 1878 Morgan silver dollar, graded MS 66, chalked up $372, and a 1921-D Walking Liberty half-dollar coin (also a key date, coveted by collectors) changed hands for $270.
Rolls of 1964 Kennedy silver half-dollars went for around $200 each, plus the premium, while 20 1991 Silver Eagle one-ounce U.S. coins in a government package roll realized $840. Also, an 1878-CC Morgan silver dollar went for $169, a 1904-S Morgan silver dollar brought $208, an 1895-S Morgan silver dollar made $1,196, and an 1877-S trade silver coin earned $817.
With regard to silver coins, there were price points for every level of collector, as some sold for as little as $35, plus the premium, and went up to many hundreds of dollars. Gold, of course, was much higher, as the price-per-ounce remains high in a still-depressed economy. Meanwhile, estate “treasure troves” of jewelry, offered in multiple lots, found new owners.
