Heritage February 2011 Long Beach US Coin Auction Realizes $8.596M

Collectors put particular emphasis on acquiring high-grade Saint-Gaudens coinage in Heritage’s $8.596 million Long Beach Signature® U.S. Coin Auction, February 5-6, 2011, at the Long Beach Convention Center.

This 1921 Saint-Gaudens $20 MS62 NGC realized $126,500 at the Heritage February 2011 Long Beach US Coin Auction.

The auction saw a 94% sell-through rate by value and 97% sell-through rate by lot. All prices below include 15% Buyer’s Premium.

"I think steady and solid is the best way to categorize the results," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. "Not spectacular, but about what we expected, with a little more on top. Certainly gold continued to be the chief consideration for high-end buyers."

A 1921 Saint-Gaudens $20 MS62 NGC, the second rarest series issue in high grades, was the top lot of the auction, with collectors bidding the coin all the way up to $126,500. The coin is one of very few known and, as stated in the 2008 second edition of the David Akers Handbook of 20th Century United States Gold Coins, 1921 Saint-Gaudens $20s "that grade MS-63 or finer are offered only once in a very long while."

This 1907 $20 High Relief shows Augustus Saint-Gaudens' design before Charles Barber made several drastic changes. Unsurprisingly, when Theodore Roosevelt chose Saint-Gaudens to begin the redesign of American coinage, he offended Barber, who was chief engraver at the mint. It realized $97,750.

A Premium Gem 1907 $20 High Relief, Flat Rim MS66 PCGS, one of the most highly sought-after of the High Relief Saint-Gaudens varieties, was the second highest lot in the auction, challenging the six figure mark, but coming up just short, as it finished the auction at $97,750. This coin is remarkable for many reasons, not the least of which is that it purely represents the original designs of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, before his death in 1907, and the subsequent changes to his designs, made by longtime rival Samuel Barber, which appeared on future gold coinage.

This 1915-S Panama-Pacific $50 Octagonal realized $86,250 at the Heritage February 2011 Long Beach US Coin Auction. The fifty dollar octagonal Pan-Pac coins remain today the only octagonal coins ever issued by the U.S. Mint, and both they and their round siblings are hotly contested in any grade at auction.

Always a highly anticipated event when they turn up at auction, a 1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific Octagonal MS63 PCGS, the last and greatest coin in an original four-piece commemorative set, lived up to the billing by bringing $86,250, amid spirited bidding, to round out the top trio of the Heritage Long Beach event.

This 1885 Liberty Head $20 realized $80,500 at the Heritage February 2011 Long Beach US Coin Auction. In 1885, the Philadelphia Mint coined a meager 828 double eagles, a figure that includes 77 proof examples. The business-strike mintage of 751 pieces ranks among the lowest production totals in the entire regular-issue series of U.S. gold coinage.

A classic gold rarity, in the form of an 1885 $20 MS61 PCGS, CAC, one of only 751 pieces struck – ranking among the lowest production totals in the entire regular-issue series of U.S. gold coinage – realized $80,500, while a 1920-S $20 MS62 PCGS, CAC, among the most elusive in the Saint-Gaudens series, realized $80,500.

Further highlights include, but are not limited to:

• 1879-CC $5 MS62 PCGS. CAC: Realized: $69,000.
• 1860 $3 PR66 Cameo NGC: Realized: $66,125.
• 1908 $20 Motto PR66 NGC: Realized: $60,375.
• 1920-S $20 MS62 NGC: Realized: $54,625.
• 1895 $1 PR64 Cameo PCGS: Realized: $54,625.

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Heritage’s Largest World & Ancient Coins Auction Tops $9.28M

Collectors from all over the world descended on New York City on January 2 and 3 to take part in Heritage Auctions’ Signature® World & Ancient Coins Auction at the Waldorf-Astoria, coinciding with the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC), where a deep lineup of stunning and rare coins realized more than $9.28 million in total, including 15% Buyer’s Premium.


This 22 pound Chinese gold coin took top honors with a $575,000 final price realized in the $9.28+ million NYINC World & Ancient Coins event at Heritage Auctions.

"What the overall results of this auction show is the continued steady strength in the World and Ancient Coin market," said Cristiano Bierrenbach, Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage. "Chinese coins continue to perform phenomenally at auction with South American rarities bringing strong prices as well. We also saw a definite uptick in interest in ancient coins in this auction, likely due to Heritage’s redoubled focus on this area."

The top lot in the auction was the massive 10kg (22 pounds) Beijing Olympics gold 100000 Yuan 2008, Gem Proof. The coin, struck to commemorate the first Olympic Games in China, the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, brought $575,000 from a savvy advanced collector.

"The Beijing Olympic 100000 Yuan is one of the world’s largest issued gold coins with 10 kilograms of pure 24K gold," said Bierrenbach, "that’s 321.17 ounces. Out of the only 29 pieces minted, seven were for export out of China and this piece, number 21, was the only one officially allocated to the US market in 2008."

Two important South American coins competed for collector attention on their way to realizing the same price of $103,500. The first, an extremely rare early Brazilian gold coin, a Pedro Regent Prince 4400 Reis c/s over Portuguese 4 Cruzados AU50 NGC, is a truly amazing early "counterstamped" issue that is just one of a handful know, and the first of its kind to come up for auction in the United States.


This Pedro Regent Prince 4400 Reis c/s over Portuguese 4 Cruzados realized $103,500.

The second was a splendid gold "Sunface" Provincias de Rio de la Plata 8 Escudos 1813J, one of the greatest South American rarities, Argentina’s first independent gold issue and certainly one of the most beautiful coins ever minted.


Provincias de Rio de la Plata 8 Escudos 1813J, KM9, Fr-1. One of the greatest South American rarities, Argentina's first independent gold issue, the 1813 ‘Sunface’ 8 Escudos is arguably one of the most beautiful designs of the early 19th century South America. This rare coin also sold for $103,500.

High quality Russian coins are always highly sought-after and a Choice Uncirculated Peter I Rouble 1720, MS64 NGC did not disappoint as it rose amidst steady budding to finish the auction at $57,500.


Peter I Rouble 1720, KM-157.4 Bust right/Crowned Imperial eagle, nails on sleeve in one line, Diakov 16, PETR 4, UZD 0588. MS64 NGC. Fully struck with mottled obverse toning, light reverse toning, and full underlying mint luster.

A Vittorio Emanuele III gold 100 Lire 1937R, MS65 NGC, one of only 249 such coins minted following the Italian conquest of Ethiopia, depicting a Roman carrying the fasces symbolic of the Italian government, realized $48,875. With the issue of this coin, Vittorio Emanule III added the title of Emperor to his stature as King.

A trio of ancient coins captured serious collector attention as they all seriously exceeded pre-auction estimates: a Gela. Ca. 415-405 BC. AR tetradrachm (17.22 gm), among the finest known examples of this unique reverse type ancient coin, represented by only a single die, a Ptolemy VI-Ptolemy VIII (145-116 BC). AV mnaieion or oktadrachm (27.75 gm), a virtually perfect specimen, and a Carthage, Time of Hannibal Barca (ca. 221-201 BC). AR shekel (6.07 gm), Second Punic War issue, Carthage or uncertain mint in Sicily, ca. 213-210 BC, one of perhaps five or fewer in existence, all realized $46,000.

Adding credence to the ever-strengthening Chinese coin market was the very interesting sale of a 1914 Chinese Republic Silver Dollar, KM-Y322, L&M-858, MS66 PCGS, a coin that came in with an estimate of $4,000+ and ended up selling to a determined bidder for $23,500.

"This is a coin that, five years ago, was selling for $1,500 and up," said Bierrenbach. "The fact that it went for almost six times pre-auction estimates sends a very clear signal that Chinese coins are very strong in the market right now."

Rounding out the top offerings of the auction were an Empress Zauditu silver Pattern Birr EE1917 (1925), the last Ethiopian emperor or empress before the controversial and famous Ras Tafari, who later became Emperor Haile Selassie, brought $43,125, while an exceedingly rare Peru cob gold 8 Escudos 1714, of Jamaican origin, realized $40,250. This coin is one of only two known.
About Heritage Auctions

Heritage Auctions, headed by Steve Ivy, Jim Halperin and Greg Rohan, is the world’s third largest auction house, with annual sales more than $600 million, and 500,000+ registered online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

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