A 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar B-1, BB-1, R.4, XF45 PCGS. CAC sparked a frenzy of competitive bidding before it finally sold for $528,000, leading Heritage’s US Coins Signature® Auction to $10,522,009 Nov. 16-19.
One of just 140-150 known examples, this magnificent coin drew 58 bids before reaching its final result, which was by far the most ever paid for a 1794 dollar in XF condition; the previous record was $368,000. The result virtually doubled the last time this specific coin sold at auction, when it brought $264,500 in Heritage’s 2006 Long Beach Signature Auction.
Also among the event’s highlights was a 1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle, BD-2, MS62, a classic rarity of the early U.S. gold series that also drew more than 50 bids before finishing at $492,000.
One of an estimated surviving population of just 100-125, this beauty has been off the market since 2007, and is one of just four graded in 62 (1 in 62+), with only two that carry a higher grade.
"We have some very happy consignors after this auction today who entrusted us with some very special rarities and are pleased to have delivered some really impressive prices," said Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "It is particularly wonderful to see us wind down 2023 in the same vibrant manner we started it, and in spite of the economic shifts we have seen and the current geo-political environment.
"Seeing these solid results near year’s end bodes well for the numismatic rarities that will be offered in the always-exhilarating January FUN auctions and for the entire marketplace in 2024."
An 1808 Capped Bust Left Quarter Eagle, MS63 that is tied for the second-finest graded example of the rarest United States type coin drew a winning bid of $360,000. Locating any example of the 1808 can be challenging, making a Mint State example exceptionally rare.
John Dannreuther and PCGS CoinFacts both estimate the surviving population at 125-150 examples in all grades, and PCGS and NGC have combined to certify only 113 specimens between them, including an unknown number of resubmissions and crossovers.
A 1795 13 Leaves Eagle, BD-2, High R.4, MS61 PCGS. CAC from the first year in which it was issued climbed to $204,000. All 1795 eagles are coveted because they are among the first gold coins ever struck in the U.S.
A 1932 Double Eagle MS65 PCGS – the second-rarest late-date (from 1929 through 1932) Saint – brought in 53 bids before ending at $168,000. Despite a large mintage of more than 1.1 million pieces, the 1932 Saint-Gaudens double eagle is unquestionably rare, because the majority of the mintage was held in Mint or Treasury vaults to serve as currency reserves until the Gold Recall took effect the following year; the coins in government custody were melted into gold bars and shipped to the Fort Knox Bullion Repository.
None were ever released to Federal Reserve Banks for circulation and only 175 examples were ever available to the general public, either through sale to collectors by the Treasury department, or in exchange in normal transactions with the Philadelphia Mint Cashier. Roger Burdette estimates the surviving population at about 95 examples in all grades today.
One of just 425 examples struck of an 1879 Flowing Hair Stella, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR63 PCGS sold for $144,000. Although it was once believed that as many as 700 examples of the 1879 Flowing Hair stella may have been struck, research by Roger W. Burdette published in the Spring 2015 issue of the Journal of Numismatic Research suggests that production actually was limited to 425 pieces. The first 25 coins were struck in December 1879 and/or January 1880.
Another 100 examples were struck in March 1880 followed by 300 more in May. The coins were largely sold to Congressmen as part of sets, with the goloid metric dollars (Judd-1617 and Judd-1629) for $10. They were later offered to collectors for $15.
Other top lots included, but were not limited to:
- An 1861-D G$1 MS61 PCGS. Variety 12-Q: $126,000
- A 1776 Continental Dollar, MS63: $108,000
- A 1795 BD-8 Capped Bust Right Five, MS61: $103,800
- An 1891-O Quarter, SP65: $96,000
- A 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar, VF Sharpness: $84,000
- A 1915-S Panama-Pacific Fifty Dollar, MS63: $75,000
- A 1915-S $50 Panama-Pacific Fifty Dollar Octagonal MS63 NGC: $75,000
- A 1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle, AU50: $72,000
Complete results can be found at HA.com/1366.
About Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam, Brussels and Hong Kong.
Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet’s most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 1,750,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of more than 6,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit.
Thank you so much Coin News for following up with prices realized for this auction! I wish there was a more in depth write up on those Panama Pacific gold coins, maybe next time? The coin price realized, that it probably found most surprising was that, “ An 1808 Capped Bust Left Quarter Eagle, MS63 that”. Based on rarity and seemingly what coins in the “Deep End” are selling for, Perhaps something in the $400+K range is what I’d expect? I’d like to think, that the next time it comes to auction it will be in the $475-525K range? Some… Read more »
I wonder how much I can get for my wooden nickel collection
How extensive is it? Years from now, will it have any value to the “next” generation?
The stories these coins could tell. That’s part of my interest in coin collecting. My collection only goes back to the Hard Times. Even contemporary coins, I wonder if they’ll really have any value years into the future. Time will tell.