Bruce Morelan and Legend Numismatics recently completed an historic $6 million transaction to reclaim an exquisite collection of Liberty Nickels, including the 1913 Liberty Nickel graded PR66 by Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com).
The sets, encompassing United States nickels dated from 1883 through 1913, were sold to Legend Numismatics by longtime collector Jerry Forsythe, who commissioned Laura Sperber and her Lincroft, New Jersey, auction company to build the sets.
"This specimen of the 1913 Liberty Nickel was once owned by legendary collector Louis Eliasberg and, graded PCGS PR66, is the finest specimen known," explains Brett Charville, president of PCGS, which graded the 1913 Liberty Nickel and other pieces in the Liberty Nickel sets recently procured by Morelan.
"Bruce and Laura as a team have built some of the finest coin collections of our generation. Their collaboration exemplifies the amazing accomplishments that can be achieved when an ultimate collector like Bruce works with a true numismatic advocate like Laura."
Both the Mint State and Proof collections of Liberty Nickels are ranked as number-one sets in the PCGS Set Registry (https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry), meaning these collections of Liberty Nickels cumulatively boast the highest overall grade-point average of coins for all such registered sets.
The keystone coin for the Proof Liberty Nickels With 1913 Proof (1883-1913) PCGS Registry Set is the 1913 Proof Liberty Nickel, and this transaction marks the third time Morelan has owned this exact specimen.
"It clearly is one of his all-time favorite coins," says Legend Numismatics (https://www.legendnumismatics.com/) Founder Laura Sperber of the PCGS PR66 Liberty Nickel. "Bruce has no plans on selling it and is planning to keep it alongside his 1794 PCGS SP66 Flowing Hair Dollar and 1804 PCGS PR65 Draped Bust Dollar as family heirlooms." She goes on to say, "As a previous owner, the late Dr. Morton Smith, once said, ‘This coin needs a good home, [and] I am it.’ Morelan has the same feeling, and it’s his belief the 1913 Liberty Nickel is one of the greatest coins to own in all of numismatics."
Morelan, whose recently repurchased 1913 Liberty Nickel previously sold at auction in 2018 for $4.56 million, further cements his place among the greatest collectors of all time. "Not many collectors have owned both a 1913 Liberty Nickel and 1804 Draped Bust Dollar," he notes. "Those two coins are so rare and popular, and simultaneous ownership just hasn’t happened much."
His achievements put him in the company of but a handful of prestigious collectors to include Eliasberg and Reed Hawn. Morelan plans on displaying his prized 1913 Liberty Nickel at some point in the future.
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified more than 45 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of over $41.7 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
40 years ago, I thought the same thing. You just never know – keep dreaming!
Dreaming is all-important because while not equipped to accomplish anything itself it is what initially spurs action and provides the continuing impetus toward success.
Congratulations, Bruce, on building that one of a kind coin collection.