Stack’s Bowers Galleries (www.stacksbowers.com) proved the current strength of the coin and currency market last week by realizing an astounding $40,084,165 at the Official Auction of the ANA World’s Fair of Money (worldsfairofmoney.com), with U.S. coins realizing over $29.9 million of the total.
The only official ANA auction in Chicago presented more than 9,000 lots of U.S. and world coins, paper money, medals and tokens over 11 sessions, August 13-20, 2011, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
This is the first of three consecutive Official Auctions of the ANA World’s Fair of Money for Stack’s Bowers Galleries, followed by Philadelphia in August 2012 and again in Chicago in August 2013.
According to Chris Napolitano, president of Stack’s Bowers Galleries, "Our ANA Auction represents a true numismatic landmark, shattering records in a wide array of categories, and continues to solidify Stack’s Bowers as one of the pre-eminent numismatic auctioneers in the coin industry."
The Stack’s Bowers Galleries team of professionals, which is unsurpassed in the numismatic industry, is dedicated to bringing to market the best and most desirable coins and currency offered anywhere. "Truly great coins and currency will always be in demand," continued Napolitano, "and will continue to bring record prices when they cross the auction block."
Individual highlights of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Chicago ANA auction are almost too numerous to mention, although several collections and individual coins certainly stand out as having achieved lasting notoriety due to having achieved record prices realized.
The ultra-rare proof 1975 No S Roosevelt dime, certified Proof-68 by PCGS and offered as lot 7297 in the Chicago ANA Rarities Night Auction, witnessed spirited pre-sale Internet bidding in the weeks leading up to the start of the sale. When the gavel finally fell in the auction room, accompanied by a round of applause from those present at the sale, the final realized price was $349,600, a record for the highest price ever paid for a modern (post-1964) U.S. coin at auction. This coin is one of only two proof 1975 No S dimes known to exist, it is the only example certified by PCGS, and the first example ever offered at auction.
Among anchor consignments in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Chicago ANA Auction, the Richard C. Jewell Collection dazzled bidders with important offerings of both stellar quality U.S. type coins and rare pattern pieces.
The key date 1804 Draped Bust quarter in PCGS/CAC MS-63 offered as lot 7303 sold for $184,000. The coin was described by some bidders as the best example of the issue they had ever seen.
The beautifully toned 1815 Capped Bust quarter graded MS-65 by PCGS and CAC verified, lot 7305, also exceeded expectations with a realized price of $41,400.
Pattern highlights in the Jewell Collection include:
- lot 7511, one of only two known aluminum strikings of the 1872 Judd-1197 pattern Amazonian quarter dollar in PCGS/CAC Proof-64 Cameo that traded for $74,750 and
- lot 7525, the finer of only two known pattern 1873 Judd-1339 half eagles that also brought $74,750.
The Judd-1339 specimen is graded Proof-65 Cameo by PCGS with CAC verification.
No less impressive are the results achieved by the Rajj Collection, many examples of which had been off the market for decades before appearing in this auction. Lot 7547, the exceptionally attractive 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 certified AU-55+ by PCGS with CAC verification, demanded $287,500 from the winning bidder.
Another Territorial gold coin from the Rajj Collection that performed equally well is lot 7565, a premium-quality and thoroughly attractive 1849 Mormon $2.50 in PCGS/CAC AU-55 that went to its new owner at $86,250.
Part I of the Guttag Family Collection brought to light numerous classic commemorative coins that had been off the market since acquired by the Guttag Brothers during the early-to-mid 20th century as part of their successful New York City coin business.
Several beautiful, rainbow toned commemorative half dollars feature among the highlights, including lot 8540, a 1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary that stunned everyone in the auction room when it realized $34,500. Certified MS-66 by PCGS, the realized price for this Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary is an amazing 4,452% of the current Coin Dealer Newsletter (CDN, commonly referred to as the "Greysheet") bid of $775.
Lots 8510 and 8548 were no less impressive, featuring gorgeously toned 1921 Alabama 2×2 and 1921 Missouri 2×4 commems Graded MS-65 and MS-64+ by PCGS, respectively, these two remarkable coins fetched $28,750 and $18,400. The realized price for the 1921 Alabama 2×2 is a phenomenal 2,300% of the current Greysheet bid of $1,250, while that for the 1921 Missouri 2×4 in MS-64+ is nearly 646% of the current Greysheet bid of $2,850 for the issue in MS-65.
Other coins that far exceeded expectations include lot 7183, a 1776 Continental dollar from the Howard Collection in PCGS/CAC AU-58 that traded hands for $80,500. And the simply exquisite 1799 Capped Bust Right eagle in PCGS MS-64 offered as lot 7713 bewildered many bidders when competition drove the final realized price to $207,000.
U.S. coin highlights of the official Stack’s Bowers Galleries Chicago ANA World’s Fair of Money and ANA/PNG Pre-Show auctions include:
- Lot 7101, 1870-CC Seated Liberty Half Dollar, MS-62 (NGC), From the Dick Osburn Collection, realized $172,500
- Lot 7135, 1878-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar, MS-63 (PCGS), CAC, From the Dick Osburn Collection, realized $184,000
- Lot 7182, 1792 Washington Roman Head Cent, Proof-65 BN (PCGS), CAC, Secure Holder, From the Howard Collection, realized $161,000
- Lot 7183, 1776 Continental Dollar, CURRENCY, Pewter, AU-58 (PCGS), CAC, From the Howard Collection, realized $80,500
- Lot 7297, 1975 No S Roosevelt Dime, Proof-68 (PCGS), realized $349,600
- Lot 7303, 1804 Draped Bust Quarter, MS-63 (PCGS), CAC, From the Richard C. Jewell Collection, realized $184,000
- Lot 7305, 1815 Capped Bust Quarter, MS-65 (PCGS), CAC, From the Richard C. Jewell Collection, realized $41,400
- Lot 7481, 1792 Disme, Judd-10, AU-55 (PCGS), CAC, Ex: Norweb, realized $362,250
- Lot 7491, Undated (1860) Pattern Indian Cent — Obverse and Reverse Hub Trial, Judd-264, Proof-65 (PCGS), From William Bareford Collection, realized $109,250
- Lot 7510, 1872 Pattern Indian Cent, Judd-1181, Proof-67 Cameo (PCGS), CAC, From the Richard C. Jewell Collection, realized $74,750
- Lot 7511, 1872 Pattern Amazonian Quarter, Judd-1197, Proof-64 Cameo (PCGS), CAC, From the Richard J. Jewell Collection, realized $74,750
- Lot 7525, 1873 Pattern Half Eagle, Judd-1339, Proof-65 Cameo (PCGS), CAC, From the Richard C. Jewell Collection, realized $74,750
- Lot 7547, 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold, Lettered Edge, 50D C, 887 THOUS, With 50 on Reverse, AU-55+ (PCGS), CAC, From the Rajj Collection, realized $287,500
- Lot 7554, 1850 Baldwin & Co. $10 Gold, Horseman Type, MS-64 (NGC), realized $281,750
- Lot 7565, 1849 Mormon $2.50, AU-55 (PCGS), CAC, From the Rajj Collection, realized $86,250
- Lot 7593, 1796 Capped Bust Right Quarter Eagle, Stars on Obverse, MS-63 * (NGC), Ex: J. Whitney Walter, realized $287,500
- Lot 7713, 1799 Capped Bust Right Eagle, Large Obverse Stars, MS-64 (PCGS), realized $207,000
- Lot 7732, 1875 Liberty Eagle, AU-53+ (PCGS), Secure Holder, realized $345,000
- Lot 7753, 1856-O Liberty Double Eagle, VF-20 (PCGS), CAC, From the Southern Gentleman Collection, realized $184,000
- Lot 7777, 1885 Liberty Double Eagle, Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS), CAC, realized $230,000
- Lot 8510, 1921 Alabama Centennial, 2×2, MS-65 (PCGS), From the Guttag Family Collection, realized $28,750
- Lot 8540, 1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary, MS-66 (PCGS), From the Guttag Family Collection, realized $34,500
- Lot 8548, 1921 Missouri Centennial, 2×4 MS-64+ (PCGS), From the Guttag Family Collection, realized $18,400
For a complete list of prices realized in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the Chicago ANA World’s Fair of Money, visit www.stacksbowers.com or call at 800.458.4646.
The next Stack’s Bowers Galleries auctions are "The Americana Sale" presented as The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Philadelphia Expo September 13-17, which goes online for bidding August 26; and the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Baltimore Auction November 14-19, for which consignments are still being accepted.
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries, a division of Fortune 500 Company Spectrum Group International, Inc., was launched in January 2011, combining the extraordinary histories of Stack’s, the oldest rare coin auction and retail company in America, with Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world’s pre-eminent auctioneers of rare coins and paper money.
The two companies unite to share a combined legacy that spans more than 100 years, and includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable collections to ever cross an auction block — the John. J. Ford, Jr., and Louis E. Eliasberg collections, the Harry W. Bass, Jr., Collection, and the Norweb Collection, to name just a few. Topping off this amazing numismatic history is the inclusion of the world record for the highest price ever realized at auction for a rare coin, the legendary 1933 St. Gaudens Double Eagle which realized an astounding $7.59 million (sold in partnership with Sotheby’s).
The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, with offices in New York, New Hampshire and Hong Kong. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic conventions, including the ANA World’s Fair of Money and ANA/PNG Pre-Show, and the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expos in Baltimore, three times yearly, and Philadelphia.
For more information about Stack’s Bowers Galleries 2011 Chicago ANA Auction, call 800.458.4646 or visit www.stacksbowers.com.
