A magnificent collection of the coin sometimes referred to as the "king of America’s coins" will be among the top treasures in Heritage’s Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature® Auction June 13-16.
The Citizen Bold Collection includes 109 Morgan dollars. Created from 1878-1904 and again in 1921, and once more starting in 2021 as a modern Mint collectible, Morgan dollars are enormously popular with collectors across the country and around the globe.
"Morgan dollars are enormously important in American numismatic history," says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "They boosted American industrialization and helped the country expand its western frontier. In addition, after the Coinage Act of 1873 ended the free coining of silver and the production of the Seated Liberty dollar, the Morgan dollar marked the resumption of standard silver dollar coinage. It holds a hugely significant place in the history of American coins."
Among the top coins in the collection, and the entire auction, is an 1893-S Morgan Dollar, MS63 PCGS that is a Mint State example of the coin acknowledged as the business-strike key of the series. Because of the financial climate at the time, the San Francisco Mint struck just 100,000 dollars in 1893, most of which went into circulation. Today, an Uncirculated 1893-S is widely considered the Holy Grail of a Morgan dollar collection.
Another prize from the Citizen Bold Collection is an 1892-S Morgan Dollar, MS64+ PCGS. CAC that also is a landmark condition rarity in the incredible series. The issue is readily available in circulated grades but trails only the legendary 1893-S in high-grade rarity. This auction marks just the sixth time Heritage Auctions has offered a specimen of the 1892-S that graded MS64 or better in the last 10 years.
Other top Morgan dollars from the Citizen Bold Collection include, but are not limited to:
- An 1894-O Morgan Dollar, MS64 NGC is a brilliant example from a modest mintage of 1.7 million 1894-O Morgan dollars. NGC has graded just seven numerically finer examples.
- An 1889-CC Morgan Dollar, MS64 Deep Prooflike NGC is from a small mintage of 350,000 produced during the second half of the year. It is a challenging issue in the series, widely considered the most elusive Morgan dollar from the Carson City Mint.
- An 1879-CC Silver Dollar, MS65 NGC is one of the finest certified from a limited mintage of just 756,000 pieces, and most of the coins that were struck circulated throughout the West. It is considered the second-rarest Morgan dollar from the Carson City Mint overall, surpassed only by the 1889-CC in terms of collector demand within the Carson City subset.
An additional highlight from this collection is a 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, MS63 NGC that, in this condition, is without question among the top 100 coins of this date. Even that estimate might be conservative, considering the Three Leaves reverse, as opposed to the Two Leaves reverse style.
Another notable collection is the Mercury Rising Collection, Part II, in which one of the highlights is an 1879 Flowing Hair Stella, PR66 Cameo NGC. Listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, the 1879 Flowing Hair stellas are acknowledged as the most popular 19th-century pattern issue. It is believed that 425 examples of the 1879 Flowing Hair stella were struck between October 4, 1879 and May 10, 1880, all for inclusion in three-coin pattern sets that also included examples of the 1879 goloid dollar (Judd-1617) and the 1879 goloid metric dollar (Judd-1626). These sets were offered to Congressmen for their bullion cost of $6.10, but not to collectors or the general public until the 1880 congressional term was over.
A 1908-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS67 PCGS. CAC is among the most important coins in the auction and one of the finest certified by PCGS, one of just six examples graded MS67 or better – five (including two at MS67+) at PCGS and a single MS67★ specimen at NGC.
Other top lots from the Mercury Rising Collection, Part II, include, but are not limited to:
- A 1930-S Indian Ten Dollar, MS65 PCGS. CAC
- An 1866 Liberty Double Eagle, MS64★ NGC. CAC
- A 1906 Two and a Half, PR67 Cameo NGC
A third notable collection is The Avraham Collection, which comes from a longtime collector of U.S. gold. This assemblage consists largely of Liberty Head double eagles and eagles, including many Carson City and other branch mint dates.
Highlights include, but are not limited to:
- An 1885-CC double eagle graded XF40 by PCGS. CAC
- An 1893-CC Double Eagle MS62 PCGS – an example from the final year of coinage at the famous Carson City Mint
As expected, the auction features a number of exceptional coins that are not part of any collection.
An 1871-CC Liberty Double Eagle, AU55 NGC is the second-rarest Carson City twenty. A sought-after rarity from a production total of 14,687, the vast majority were released into circulation and suffered extensive wear. In his series reference The Confident Carson City Coin Collector, Rusty Goe estimates the surviving population at 155-200 examples in all grades and says the 1871-CC double eagles are "the second-rarest date in a 19-piece set of one of the most powerful and captivating series in all of U.S. numismatics."
An 1865 Three Dollar Gold, PR66 Cameo PCGS. CAC is exceedingly rare – one of just 25 proof three dollar gold pieces struck, to go along with 1,140 business-strike pieces. PCGS CoinFacts estimates the surviving population at 13-18 examples in all grades, and in his new series reference, United States Proof Coins, Volume IV: Gold, John Dannreuther estimates the surviving population at 12-14 specimens, including an example in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution and another in the collection of the American Numismatic Society. This coin is the top-ranked specimen in Dannreuther’s list of Significant Examples.
An exceedingly rare 1872 Amazonian Quarter, Judd-1197 PR66 Cameo PCGS is the finer of just two known examples. These patterns were issued in denominational sets of the quarter, half dollar and dollar in silver, copper and aluminum. It has been a highlight of several important collections – remarkably, Bob R. Simpson acquired both of the known examples of this extremely rare pattern for his collection.
A magnificent 1955-Dated New York Assay Office Silver Ingot measures 11.1 inches (28.3 centimeters) long and weighs an estimated 1,041.68 ounces, making it one of just 13 known New York Assay Office silver ingots to eclipse 1,000 ounces. The end is stamped with the melt number 6973A, and it has a fineness of .999, as is expected for the date. A "6" is stamped on the opposite end of the ingot, indicating the lot number.
Information and images of all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/1368.
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.
I think I’ll go to the coin show in Long Beach. Anybody else going? I’ll buy the first round.
East Coast Guru,
Now that the Queen Mary has been refurbished, will any part of the coin show be taking place on board that grand old vessel? By the way, if your location coincides with your online moniker, does going to this event in fact involve a cross-country flight? Questions, questions, questions…curious minds always want to know!
Hi Kaiser, unfortunately no part of the show will be on the Queen Mary. Not a big enough deck area to set up, but it is a nice ship to visit. The SS Lane Victory is near by too as well as the Iowa. Staying with family here and seeing the show. Not sure what my fancy will be for a coin. Maybe a Hawaiian commemorative half. Or if 2024 Libertads are out I might get some of those. Maybe a Liberty/Britannia will be available. Who knows, it’s always fun and interesting.
Regardless, East Coast Guru, it’s nice that “she” will still be there as a viewing possibility. Besides, it appears that you will have more than enough to occupy your interest, attention and energies out there just between the attractions of the coin show and the visit with your family. All in all, it certainly sounds to me like a rather diverse and fulfilling coin-driven interlude.
That looks like a very good show/expo. Everything will be on display(above, etc), so you can see it in person before for the actual auction in TX and online mid June…
Hey Tom, if you’re out there. Are you going to the expo? And how’s the knee!
BTW thanks for yours, and VinnyC for the Morgan/Peace VAM tips. I’m a fan, Great stuff.
Rick,
At the last local show VAMs see pretty scarce. That seem to be the norm. Only the most popular varieties seem to show up. In terms of the other some of the other varieties you will see Red Book ones like the 1938 D/S 5c. I’m yearning to go to a big coin show. I wonder if the extra V penny might show up at Long Beach or if they are too far and few in between. BTW E1 I still read your Extra V post. I just have not been commenting as much lately.
I’ve only been to Long Beach Expo once. I the one lesson I learned was don’t make Saturday your only day. On Saturday a whole bunch of the dealers are packing up and in the process of leaving. It is still a pretty huge show, but It cold have been bigger for me. At the few ANA shows I’ve been to everybody seems to waits until the afternoon.
VinnieC that happened to me at the ANA in March on a Saturday. I showed up late morning and several dealers were already gone and others were packing up. The snowstorm on thurs/fri wore some of them out as well? It was still a very good and productive experience for me, my 1st coin show. I was able to submit coins to PCGS in person, but not so fast with NGC, they were gone before I showed up? I made a purchase from a dealer and we both came out happy campers…
As if we need more Morgans to look at!?! Rick’s got us overly covered in that department! Lol…
And now I feel compelled to check my stash for comparables Lol.
I must have a problem!?…But I’m talking about coins, so I’m covered when it comes to subject matter. Thank goodness!
Forgive me, I couldn’t help myself! It is not comparable to those above, but I do like the toning on this one. I picked it up this March, from a competitor…
Beautiful coin! Has the reverse toned as well?
Thanks Guru,
Not nearly, as many are like that from how they are stored/layered/bagged? Some of that deeper color on the right side had seeped over to the Reverse a bit. That’s a Great Collections Photo, and they’re great photo takers.
Here’s a couple of photos from my phone for a more “realistic” look at it…
And the Reverse…
Rick and East Coast Guru,
Whenever I look at a coin like that, in addition to the sheer beauty of the coin itself, I think of all the historic events that have come to pass since it was first minted. Georgeous and historical…what a fabulous combination!
Questions on toning – I assume there is a gradual transition to a toned coin. How long and under what conditions does a coin become “toned”? Then, how long does the coin stay in its “optimal” state of toning? And finally, how long does it take for the coin to lose its toning to appear like every other coin of its variety?
I’m curious about the topic as I’ve been collecting for over 50 years and I’m not sure I own a single toned coin.
REB, I have toned coins in several proofs sets with state quarters and those are less than 20 years-old so it doesn’t take that long. In my case I caulk it up to being improperly stored, likely in an unconditioned space like a storage unit where there’s high heat. There’s a lot of good info out there if you do an internet search “what makes a toned coin?”
oops, meant to say chalk it up….
Use enough caulking and that’ll preserve it nice and dandy!
Reb, Rick and Major D,
I thought briefly that Major D actually meant he caulked his coins shut, so for a moment that seemed like a plan to me, but then he just as quickly wiped away the fantasy. Rick clearly wasn’t quite ready to let go of that so we were off to a sort of “Who’s on first”-like day at the races, all in good fun of course.
Coincidentally, much of my work life was as logistics mgr. at a caulk factory; after too many years there my fate was sealed.
Lol !
Something good seems have come out of it!? Your self “preservation” seems to be working, going on the big 8-0 and all!
Rick,
Your powers of observation and perception are clearly exceptional as you have hit the proverbial nail right on the head. Whatever else the hard work and stiff penance that came my way in those days did for me it nevertheless resulted in a superb life in retirement; I couldn’t imagine a better one.
Major D and Reb,
I think it’s interesting, perhaps even counterintuitively so, that the condition of possessing various hues which are apparently brought about by environmental circumstances is thought of as a very positive attribute of a coin and as such can in effect add to its numismatic allure.
Kaiser, yes because technically toning is considered damage I believe. But I sure do like the colors!
Toned coins are big business as well, as I can attest first hand to overpaying for coins with the toning…
There is also the dark(pun)side of the toned coin market, so one needs to be carefull. Thankfully the toners I have are authenticated by way of TPG’s. If the TPG’s suspect Artificial Toning(huge scam market), they will strike it down and label it as “Questionable Color” and so on. Most of the time they get it right, but not always, as they can be as subjective as the coins themselves….
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/990829/questionable-color
AT is also an acronym in the tonersphere “Accelerated Toning” = fake toning…
Major D,
It’s a perfect example of beauty being in the eye of the beholder.
Stunning
Agreed on storage. However even in cool, dry, dark locations(CO Bmt.) toning can occur even inside of a roll of ASE’s that are left untouched, unopened, or exposed in any way. I had a few rolls I’ve opened up just recently and the one pictured below, after 9 years had left the top coin of the roll perimeter toned = air/oxygen seepage…
And near that roll, another roll from 2015 that was inside a Harbor Freight Ammo Case with a rubber gasket lid = much less–no air/oxygen seepage..
And here is the 4 coin Lincoln Proof 4 coin set after 15 years.
Partially toned inside the Mint case–But in a shoebox = air/oxygen seepage…Precautions/proper storage is key to keeping things as fresh as possible I’d say?
Rick,
Funny you should bring this up now. Just this past week I was going through my proof sets from yesteryear and noticed air seepage into some of the tightly sealed(?) lucite lenses. Now I finally understand; thanks for showing me I’m not the only one!
Hot dog, Rick- it looks like that ASE end one is turning into gold!
Major D,
Are you implying you didn’t know our friend is an alchemist?
Lolol ! Yes I try, but I got a D- in Chemistry & Math! Something went awry when I accidently used used my Doritos Color Code; Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 aiming for that Classic Pre-33 Golden Tone color!?!
Well, it turned into Fools Gold and I lost my hair!
Back to the drawing board!
It was supposed to turn out like this….
https://v.etsystatic.com/video/upload/ac_none,du_15,q_auto:good/trim.02E01AD8-86DF-4592-9E89-4E34512B5441_pheiz6.mp4
PRICELESS! 🙂
Rick,
I sure hope you are a joke writer on a popular comedy show because it’s a real shame if that isn’t the situation. Case in point, the above comment gets ever more hilarious with each reading; talk about packing a ton of humor into such a small space!
More on the vaporized posts from a day ago – amazingly I received 3 emails from Coin News.net this afternoon informing me that my posts had been approved. They are scrambled amongst the 99 posts on the last thread, but will probably never be read. That’s why I despise the reply feature and would prefer all posts to be published in the order they are submitted/approved. Who wants to go back through a hundred comments to try to find the four new ones when one was made 5 minutes ago and the one before it was 6 hours ago –… Read more »
I didn’t want to say anything in that regard before because all I had was a sneaky suspicion, DAVESWFL, but since I work with a laptop and have run into a similar issue before, I had a distinct hunch that it was the site that was at fault and not your device. Glad it’s all straightened out now!
(Me), Via email to the Mint last night… “Hello, I have a Coin that I’m considering returning/replacing due to a poor quality issue. My question is as follows; If I return the Coin for replacement, will there be a new, better quality coin readily available to replace it? My order number is USM1443XXXX. The Coin in question is the 2024 Liberty & Britannia Gold Coin. It was delivered on 5/20/2024 I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks, Rick” Today(Mint) “Dear Rick: Thank you for your inquiry to the United States Mint. Under our return policy, customers may return products… Read more »
I’m willing to bet, Rick, that the Mint was purposely vague regarding what you would receive in exchange for your return because that keeps their options open as to what they will end up doing. Meaning, you will get either a 1) hot off the presses brand spanking new coin, 2) an as yet undelivered coin that was on credit hold, or, and this would be your least desirable option, 3) the best condition coin they can find out of however many have been returned to the Mint by customers for whatever reason. So you are absolutely right in saying… Read more »
Kaiser,
You are being very generous (hopeful) to think they would actually take the time to go through returns to choose “the best condition coin” in the return inventory. My guess would be the coin on the top of the return stack.
And thanks for your sympathies on the evaporating comment problem.
I have actually posed the question to Mint reps on the phone on separate occasions, and the response was that the Mint does not resell returned coins.
Were the “Mint reps” order takers or actual officials/officers at the U.S. Mint?
REB, I’d say order takers. I’ve never spoke to anyone at a higher up/supervisor or above level before.
Major D and REB,
Good question, REB, and illuminating answer, Major D, which brings us to the issue of how much what these reps say is what they’ve been told to say. While I have always found these frontline folks to be friendly and accomodating, I am also aware that their access to the inner workings of the Mint is quite likely nonexistent. Once more into the breach, guys, and as is so typically the case when it comes to the Mint, we are left wondering.
Major D, I would welcome the Mint not reselling returned coins to be their policy currently, but who knows for sure besides the fulfillment folks and their bosses?. And with that being said, I feel for them(Mint) in regards to seeing a returned coin in near perfect condition and acceptable, to then go to waste at the expense of a picky slabber or customer. Perhaps there are conditions depending on the coin in question? Such as the 2019-S Enhanced RP ASE, or the 2020-W v75 1oz AGE..I would guess that the Mint wouldn’t have any of those two coins to… Read more »
Major D,
I have not a shadow of a doubt that is exactly what you were told. I am on the other hand more than slightly sceptical regarding the verity of the answer they were possibly instructed to give when asked about that topic, which in my opinion fits nicely into the realm of the wise old rabbi’s singular answer, “Maybe yes, maybe no”.
Yeah, option #4 may be the most likely – the returned coin might be a replacement from the top of the returned stack and it will likely be worse quality than the coin you returned.
Which is why, REB, I wouldn’t return anything to the Mint unless it was so egregiously damaged that there was no point in keeping it.
DAVESWFL, And here I was of the distinct impression that going by/according to the trending opinion of more than a few of our fellow collectors here, which is that no returned coins are ever under any conditions re-sold by the Mint, I was in fact inclined to be thought of as being more toward the overly pessimistic, or pehaps even somewhat cynical side, of any possible suppositions in this regard due to my rather consistent belief that the Mint surely “recycles” all undamaged returns via sales to the purchasing public. Go figure. You’re welcome re the disappearing comments, by the… Read more »
Rick, sounds like you got the standard scripted response, likely AI generated. You could try calling in and talking to a live person, but I’m afraid the scripted response will likely be the same.
It sounds like we know no more than before your “test”. Thanks for trying and sharing your findings. We’ll have to wait for the auditors to sort things out and give us further insight … in a couple of years. If anyone sees Ventris at a coin show, it might be worth it to question her on the subject. Worst-case scenario – you get banned by the Mint from ordering any new coins from them.
REB,
A great summary and a good plan going forward. For the present, the ongoing mystery shall remain one.
I’m about to get extraordinarily busy this weekend. Everybody have a happy & safe Memorial Day Weekend. Hope you find that coin you’ve been looking for attached to the price of your dreams.
Excellent! The same to you, REB and everyone! It’s a weekend of remembrance and grilling for me.
Thanks to you as well, Major D.
Jeff Legan, Major D and REB,
Wishes for a very happy, festive and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend to all! And of course, let us give honor where it is due, to those who made it possible.
You too, REB.
Thank you for speaking up for me the other day.