Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo Features The Dr. Alfred R. Globus Collection Including Gem Example High Condition Census 1830 BD-1 Half Eagle
IRVINE, Calif. – Bowers and Merena Auctions, America’s leading rare coin and currency auction house, will bring more than 6,000 lots of fine coins and currency to Baltimore, Md., for the Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo scheduled for November 10-14, 2009.
The spotlight of the auction is this High Condition Census 1830 BD-1 Half Eagle, a Gem example of a rare and seldom-offered issue
There are nearly 2,600 U.S. lots and close to 3,500 World lots. The auction will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center and begins with lot viewing Tuesday, November 10, through Saturday, November 14, coinciding with the seven-session auction on Thursday, November 12, through Saturday, November 14. The complete auction and lot viewing schedule is available at www.bowersandmerena.com.
"Bowers and Merena has presented many successful auctions in 2009, including two earlier Official Baltimore auctions and two Official ANA auctions, and I am very pleased to finish 2009 with our largest auction of the year by number of lots crossing the block," said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena auctions.
"With more than 6,000 lots in the auction, including the incredible Globus Collection and many highlights, this is an auction that will offer something for everyone, be it U.S. or World, coins or currency."
The spotlight lot of the auction is lot 3685, a High Condition Census 1830 BD-1 Half Eagle, a Gem example of a rare and seldom-offered issue. Cataloged as 1830 BD-1, HBCC-3156, Miller-158. Rarity-6. Large 5D. MS-65 (PCGS), this fine specimen is part of The Dr. Alfred R. Globus Collection of U.S. and World Coins. The extant population for the 1830 Five is a mere 55-75 coins (per John W. Dannreuther, 2006), the vast majority of examples having been wiped out through the widespread melting that claimed most pre-1834 U.S. gold coins.
The two die marriages are fairly similar in rarity, although a slight edge goes to BD-1 with only 25-35 coins known to exist. As a fully lustrous and minimally abraded Gem, this gorgeous BD-1 example is high in the Condition Census for both the issue and the die pair, with a PCGS Populations of just one and a mere two finer, both of which grade MS-66.
Dr. Alfred R. Globus was one of America’s most renowned numismatic collectors. In addition to the 1830 Capped Bust Half Eagle, Bowers and Merena will present several hundred U.S. and World lots from his collection, including these impressive highlights:
- 1799 Capped Bust Right Half Eagle. Small Stars Reverse. MS-62 PCGS
- 1826 (6 over ‘5′) Capped Bust Left Quarter Eagle. AU-55 PCGS
- China 10 Dollars, YR.1 (1916), FR.-3, Y-333, NGC-MS62
- Denmark Ducat, 1746 Frederik V, 1746-1766, FR.-264, KM-552, NGC-MS62
- Germany Saxony-Coburg-Gotha, 20 Marks, 1895-A, FR.-3853, Y-151, NGC-MS62
Additional highlights in the Official Baltimore Auction in November include lot 3871, an extremely rare Mint State 1879-O Double Eagle, Condition Census for this low-mintage, key-date issue. This 1879-O Winter Variety One, the only known dies graded MS-60 by NGC, has a combined PCGS and NGC Population of just eight with a mere two finer at the latter service (MS-63 finest).
Also noteworthy is lot 3869, highly elusive 1878 Double Eagle in Proof-64 Cameo by NGC. A very rare issue by any standard, the 1878 has one of the lowest mintages in the entire proof Type III Double Eagle series. Only 20 coins were produced, and survivors probably number fewer than 10 specimens in all grades. At least one of the survivors is impounded in a museum collection, and two or three of the others are impaired. The Proof-64 Cameo in this lot, therefore, is in extremely limited company as a high-quality proof 1878 Twenty in private hands.
Additional coin highlights include:
Lot 411 1867 Shield Nickel. Rays. Proof-65 (PCGS). OGH.
Lot 856 1796 Half Dollar. AU-58 (PCGS).
Lot 3001 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. BB-20, B-2. Rarity-3. Two Leaves. MS-65 (NGC).
Lot 3022 1799/8 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-141, B-3. Rarity-3. Bowers Die State III. 15-Stars Reverse. MS-64 (NGC).
Lot 3034 1802 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-241, B-6. Rarity-1. Bowers Die State III. Narrow Date. MS-65 (NGC).
Lot 3040 1838 Silver Dollar. Judd-84 Original. Proof-64 (NGC).
Lot 3086 1870-S Seated Liberty Silver Dollar. Genuine–Code 98, Damage (PCGS).
Lot 3161 1884-S Morgan Silver Dollar. MS-64 (NGC).
Lot 3225 1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar. MS-67 (NGC).
Lot 3241 1895-O Morgan Silver Dollar. MS-64 (PCGS).
Lot 3261 1901 Morgan Silver Dollar. MS-65 (NGC).
Lot 3645 1854 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. MS-67 (NGC).
Lot 3665 1879 Four-Dollar Gold Stella. Flowing Hair. Judd-1635 Restrike, Pollock-1833. Rarity-3. Proof-58 (ANACS).
Lot 3716 1873 Liberty Half Eagle. Closed 3. Proof-65 Ultra Cameo (NGC). CAC.
Lot 3724 1883 Liberty Half Eagle. Proof-67 Ultra Cameo (NGC). CAC.
Lot 3725 1884 Liberty Half Eagle. Proof-66 Ultra Cameo (NGC).
Lot 3809 1903 Liberty Eagle. Proof-67 (NGC).
Lot 3849 1857-S Liberty Double Eagle. MS-67 (NGC).
Lot 3888 1892 Liberty Double Eagle. Proof-66 Ultra Cameo (NGC).
Lot 3894 1896 Liberty Double Eagle. Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS).
Lot 3903 1900 Liberty Double Eagle. Proof-65 Cameo (NGC).
Lot 3909 1902 Liberty Double Eagle. Proof-66 Cameo (NGC).
Lot 3921 1906 Liberty Double Eagle. Proof-66 Cameo (NGC).
Currency highlights include:
Lot 2158 Denver, CO. Clark, Gruber & Co. Remainder. $5. Very Fine.
Lot 2522 Asheville, NC. $20 1902 Red Seal. Fr. 641. The American NB. Charter #(S)8772. Fine.
Lot 2321 Fr. 1180. 1905 $20 Gold Certificate. PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45EPQ.
Lot 2282 Fr. 289. 1880 $10 Silver Certificate. PCGS Choice New 63PPQ.
Lot 2306 Fr. 953a. 1914 $20 Federal Reserve Note. Red Seal. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66EPQ.
Lot 2253 Fr. 161. 1880 $50 Legal Tender Note. PMG About Uncirculated 50.
Lot 2277 Fr. 281. 1899 $5 Silver Certificate. Mule. PMG Superb Gem Uncirculated 67EPQ.
Lot 2393 Fr. 2201-G*. 1934 $500 Federal Reserve Star Note. PCGS Choice About New 58.
Lot 2412 Fr. 2404. 1928 $50 Gold Certificate. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65EPQ.
All lots and images in the Bowers and Merena Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo can be viewed online at www.bowersandmerena.com, and printed catalogs are available upon request by calling 800.458.4646.
Bidding is open and pre-auction bids are welcome at www.bowersandmerena.com; by e-mail at auction@bowersandmerena.com; by phone at 800.458.4646; by fax at 949.253.4091; and by postal mail addressed to Bowers and Merena, Baltimore November 2009, 18061 Fitch, Irvine, CA, 92614.
Interested bidders are also encouraged to view lots in Baltimore November 10-14, 2009, and bid in-person at the live auction, or live online through the Bowers and Merena website. A complete auction and lot viewing schedule is available at www.bowersandmerena.com or 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. They were awarded the prestigious honor of Official Auctioneer for the 2009 American Numismatic Association Conventions in Portland and Los Angeles, in addition to their continued service as Official Auctioneer of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expos three times every year.
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. In 2008, Bowers and Merena Auctions acquired Ponterio & Associates, Inc., which now serves as Bowers and Merena’s auction division for world and ancient coins and currency. Bowers and Merena Rare Coin Galleries offers direct buying and selling of exceptional quality gold and silver rare coins.
For more information about Bowers and Merena’s Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo in November, 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.
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