Highlights Include Extraordinary Gem 1851 Augustus Humbert $50 Gold Piece, the Only Humbert Gold Coin of Any Denomination or Variety Graded MS-65 * by NGC
IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will host their Beverly Hills Rarities Sale on Saturday, September 13, 2008, at The Tower Beverly Hills, prior to the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo.
Lot viewing for the entire auction is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, September 11-13. The catalog includes more than 900 exceptional coin rarities
Topping the list of highlights is a very special new discovery, Lot 681, an August Humbert $50 Gold piece of the Reeded Edge, 880 THOUS (K-5, Rarity-5) variety graded MS-65 * by NGC. It is the only Humbert gold coin of any denomination with an NGC grade of MS-65 *.
No Humbert gold coins of any denomination or variety have been graded finer than MS-65 at either PCGS or NGC.
"This was the most memorable coin I have graded all year," said Mark Salzberg, NGC chairman.
A legendary Gem Mint State 1893-S Morgan also stands out as Lot 497. Certified by NGC, and described in the catalog as "a solidly graded MS-65," this important piece has a combined PCGS and NGC population of just 7/3. With just 100,000 pieces produced, the 1893-S has the lowest business strike mintage in the entire Morgan Dollar series (discounting the unknown 1895).
Also worthy of special mention is Lot 850, an 1861-S Liberty Double Eagle, Paquet Reverse, in NGC AU-55. It is the rarest Type I Double Eagle struck in the San Francisco Mint with just 19,250 examples released and only 90 to 100 coins believed to exist today, not a single one of which is Mint State.
It is also rarer than all other Type I Twenties with the exception of the 1854-O, 1855-O, 1856-O, 1859-O and 1860-O. The NGC Census is 12 with 10 finer, the finest of which grade AU-58. There are also no Uncs known to PCGS.
"This is a great selection of coins and this new discovery Humbert is one that will be remembered and talked about for years to come," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. "I’ve been in this business for 40-plus years now and I know that finds of this magnitude are rare."
Auction Highlights
| Lot 27 | 1864 Indian Cent. L on Ribbon. Snow PR-1. Proof-64 BN (PCGS). |
| Lot 29 | 1867 Indian Cent. Proof-67 * RD Cameo (NGC). |
| Lot 35 | 1869 Indian Cent. Proof-67 * RD (NGC). |
| Lot 49 | 1895 Indian Cent. MS-67 RD (PCGS). |
| Lot 53 | 1896 Indian Cent. MS-68 RD (NGC). |
| Lot 156 | 1919 Buffalo Nickel. MS-67 (PCGS). |
| Lot 162 | 1928-S Buffalo Nickel. MS-66 (NGC). |
| Lot 168 | 1931-S Buffalo Nickel. MS-67 (PCGS). |
| Lot 129 | 1885 Liberty Nickel. MS-66 (PCGS). |
| Lot 120 | 1867 Shield Nickel. Rays. Proof-64 (PCGS). CAC. OGH. |
| Lot 233 | 1916-D Mercury Dime. MS-65 FB (PCGS). |
| Lot 201 | 1840-O Seated Liberty Dime. No Drapery. Greer-102. Small O. MS-65 (NGC). |
| Lot 258 | 1898 Barber Quarter. Proof-69 Ultra Cameo (NGC). |
| Lot 414 | 1880 Morgan Silver Dollar. Proof-68 Cameo (NGC). CAC. |
| Lot 497 | 1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar. MS-65 (NGC). |
| Lot 555 | 1924 Peace Silver Dollar. MS-68 (NGC). |
| Lot 619 | 1928 Hawaiian Sesquicentennial. Proof-65 (NGC). OH. |
| Lot 681 | 1851 Augustus Humbert. $50 Gold. K-5. Rarity-5-. Reeded Edge, 880 THOUS. MS-65 * (NGC). |
| Lot 696 | 1854 Gold Dollar. Type II. MS-66 (PCGS). CAC. OGH. |
| Lot 764 | 1893 Liberty Half Eagle. MS-68 (PCGS). |
| Lot 792 | 1797 Capped Bust Right Eagle. Large Eagle. BD-3, HBCC-3178, Taraszka-11. Rarity-5. MS-61 (NGC). |
| Lot 845 | 1859-O Liberty Double Eagle. Winter Variety One, the only known dies. AU-58 (NGC). |
| Lot 847 | 1860-O Liberty Double Eagle. Winter Variety One, the only known dies. AU-58 (NGC). |
| Lot 850 | 1861-S Liberty Double Eagle. Paquet Reverse. AU-55 (NGC). |
The Bowers and Merena Beverly Hills Rarities Sale will take place September 13 at The Tower Beverly Hills, featuring more than 900 extraordinary coin lots. The complete auction and lot viewing schedule as well as the catalog in its entirety are available on the Bowers and Merena website at www.bowersandmerena.com, and interested bidders are also invited to request a printed catalog by calling 800-458-4646.
# # #
About Bowers and Merena Auctions
Bowers and Merena Auctions was founded in 1983 and has grown to become the-world’s preeminent numismatic auctioneer with more than half a billion dollars in rare coin and currency sales. Bowers and Merena has handled four of the five most valuable United States coin collections ever sold, including the Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Collection, the Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University, and the Norweb Collection.
For more information about Bowers and Merena Auctions and the Beverly Hills Rarities Sale, call 800.458.4646. For media inquiries, ask for president Steve Deeds. Complete prices realized for all past auctions are available at www.bowersandmerena.com.
