On September 14-16, Stack’s Bowers Galleries (www.stacksbowers.com) conducted its annual Americana Sale in Philadelphia as the Official Auctioneer of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Philadelphia Expo.
The sale featured over 4,000 lots of U.S. medals and tokens, colonial and federal U.S. coins, and U.S. paper money, offering something for every U.S. collector. At the end of the auction, $4,480,136 and thousands of numismatic items changed hands.
U.S. medals and tokens led the way and offered several exciting pieces. The newly discovered silver example of the 1780 Virginia Happy While United medal was an exceptional standout, as it is the only known survivor in silver. The medal — an amazing relic of the American Revolution that was personally ordered and overseen by Governor Thomas Jefferson and produced by a future engraver of the United States Mint — sold for $109,250 to general excitement.
Immediately following this lot was the extremely rare 1781 Nathanael Greene at Eutaw Springs medal, the star of the Comitia Americana series. This amazing lot also contained original documents from the Continental Congress that accompanied the medal at the time of its presentation, making this lot one of the greatest offerings in modern numismatic history for the Comitia Americana enthusiast. This medal and the accompanying documents witnessed competitive bidding and an ultimate sale price of $86,250.
Other important U.S. medal and token realizations included the silver 1889 Washington Inauguration Centennial medal, and the recently discovered example of the famous 1838 Am I Not a Man and Brother token. The paper money section offered several nice rainbow notes, and federal coins provided some nice rarities as well. The U.S. coin section also featured Part II of the Guttag Family Collection, providing over 250 lots of silver commemorative coins that sold for strong prices.
U.S. coin and currency highlights and realized prices of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries September 2011 Philadelphia Americana Sale include:
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Lot 1, 1628 Capture of Spanish Silver Fleet by Admiral Peter Heyn. Betts-26. Silver. Choice AU. $16,100
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Lot 78, Undated (1777) George III, The Lion and Wolf Medal. Betts-535, Jam. Fig. 11, Adams 10.1 (Obverse 1, Reverse A, Perfect State), Adams Census Specimen 15. Silver. Plain Edge. Fine. $20,700
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Lot 83, 1780 Virginia Happy While United Medal. Betts-570. Silver. Plain Edge. Choice VF. The only known silver example. $109,250
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Lot 84, 1781 Nathanael Greene at Eutaw Springs. Betts-597. Bronze. Choice AU. $86,250
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Lot 112, 1905 Theodore Roosevelt. Dusterberg-2, MacNeil 1905-2, Vermeule-119. Cast Bronze. Choice AU. $20,700
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Lot 169, 1931 Benjamin Count Rumford Award Medal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Awarded to Karl Taylor Compton. Julian AM-1, Neuzil-55. Gold. Unc. $17,825
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Lot 223, Undated (1799) Washington Funeral Medal. Baker-169. Gold. Oval Uniface. AU. $18,400
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Lot 247, 1889 Pattern Washington Inauguration Centennial Medal. General Type of Douglas-53. Bronze Cast. Choice AU. $23,000
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Lot 249, 1889 Washington Inauguration Centennial Medal. Doulgas-53A. Silver Cast. Choice AU. $34,500
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Lot 445, 1838 Am I Not A Man And A Brother. Low-54A, HT-82. Rarity-7+. Copper. Fine Details — Environmental Damage (NGC). $37,950
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Lot 1110, 1776 Continental Dollar. CURRENCY. Newman 2-C, W-8455. URS-10. Pewter. MS-64 (NGC). $127,075
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Lot 4161, Large Size. Fr. 42. 1869 $2 Legal Tender. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. $15,525
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Lot 4166, Large Size. Fr. 64. 1869 $5 Legal Tender. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ. $6,613
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Lot 4169, Large Size. Fr. 96. 1869 $10 Legal Tender. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. $11,500
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Lot 5395, 1893 Columbian Exposition. MS-66+ (PCGS). Sold for over 10 times Greysheet price $8,625
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Lot 5759, 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition $50. Round. MS-63 (NGC). $71,875
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Lot 5760, 1915-S Panama-Pacific Exposition $50. Octagonal. MS-63 (PCGS). $74,750
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Lot 5774, 1866 Pattern Lincoln Five-Cent Piece. Judd-486, Pollock-575. Rarity-7. Proof-64 Cameo (PCGS). $20,700
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Lot 5783, 1879 Pattern Morgan Half Dollar. Judd-1599, Pollock-1794. Rarity-6+. Proof-64 (PCGS). $17,825
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Lot 5833, 1798 Capped Bust Right Quarter Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-5+. Close Date, 4 Berries. AU-58 (NGC). $48,875
For a complete list of prices realized in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries September 2011 Philadelphia Americana Sale, visit www.stacksbowers.com or call at 800.458.4646. The next Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction is the Official Auction of the November 2011 Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo. We are also currently accepting consignments for the January 2012 New York Americana Sale and the Official Auction of the March 2012 Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo.
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.
