Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 39

Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction

Commemorative Gold Coins

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 2827		1922 Grant Gold Dollar, with star. NGC graded MS-66. Nice untoned coin. Reddish to bright tawny-gold in color with a bold strike, the surfaces nothing in the way of the usual light abrasions found on this issue. That being the case, this date is also difficult to find fully so fresh and gleaming. The present coin retains nice detail to the Grant's hair and beard as well as similar boldness on the trees on the reverse, all from a characteristically sharp strike. Only 5,016 struck. Pop 274; 74 finer. (PCGS # 7459) . Estimated Value $3,500 - 3,800. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2828		1922 Grant Gold Dollar, no star. NGC graded MS-66. A hint of nice golden toning. Well preserved with smooth, velvety luster and rich warm shades. A great deal of discussion also surrounds a coin's strike. Grant commemoratives, both the gold dollar but especially the half dollar, tend to lack definition on the head above the ear as well as in the leaves of the trees on the reverse. This has excellent detail, by comparison, with no sign of weakness anywhere. A first-rate Gem! Only 5,000 struck. Pop 225; 62 finer. (PCGS # 7458) . Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,250. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,565
Lot 2829		1903 Louisiana Purchase-Jefferson Gold Dollar. PCGS graded MS-66. Nice strike. A nice yellow gold piece with notable luster throughout and mellow color that gives added pizzazz and a sense of originality. Fully struck in all areas, as well, with pinpoint detailing on the wig and ribbon (Jefferson, in portraits of the period, without his wig had long string red hair). The coat collar shows remarkable detail too! A first-rate gem. Although the Congress had not considered striking a McKinley piece for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri on the 100th anniversary of the purchase of this vast tract of land from Napoleon, the tragic death of President William McKinley in the summer of 1901 caused a change in plans. A total of 17,725 pieces bearing the martyred President's bust were sold to collectors at the fair. An identical number of these attractive Jefferson Dollars were sold. Pop 487; 68 in 67. (PCGS # 7443) . Estimated Value $3,300 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2830		1903 Louisiana Purchase-Jefferson Gold Dollar. MS-60 Plus. Light hairlines. There is a lovely interplay between orange-gold and bright gold colors that give this the eye appeal of a better grade. Trivia: Jefferson and John Adams were the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to become Presidents. Also, on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Adams died at Quincy, after (allegedly) uttering the famous last words "Thomas Jefferson still survives." Unbeknownst to Adams, Jefferson had died five hours earlier. Finally, Jefferson kept two bear cubs given to him by Lewis and Clark housed in cages on the White House South Lawn. Estimated Value $525 - 550. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $748
Lot 2831		1903 Louisiana Purchase-Jefferson Gold Dollar. Sharpness of AU Light hairlines. Quite flashy with prooflike surfaces. Estimated Value $400 - 450. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $633
Lot 2832		1903 Louisiana Purchase-McKinley Gold Dollar. NGC graded Proof 65 Cameo. A glittering cameo gem! To commemorate the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, one hundred brilliant Proofs were made of each of the Jefferson and McKinley types. Many of these have since been handled or otherwise made a mess of in the years since, and today few exist in pristine, undamaged Proof 65 condition. This is a dramatic appearing frosted Gem Proof that has warm orange-gold color and a pleasing cameo contrast between the fields and devices. There are no surface blemishes on either side. The characteristic rippled or "orange peel" Proof surface is seen. An exciting and elegant looking commemorative gold dollar. Pop 1; 3 finer. Estimated Value $15,000 - 17,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2833		1903 Louisiana Purchase-McKinley Gold Dollar. PCGS graded MS-65. Lovely golden toning. A worldly dose of heavy satin luster enlivens the broad expanse of field on either side. The fields are clearly of Gem caliber, hence the MS65 grade, but more to the point, the strike is bold enough to warrant special reference. Only 17,500 coins struck. Pop 472. (PCGS # 7444) . Trivia: McKinley was supposedly the inspiration for the Wizard in "The Wizard of Oz." His portrait appeared on the U.S. $500 bill from 1928 to 1946. He had a pet parrot named "Washington Post." And finally, McKinely was the last U.S. Civil War veteran to be President. Estimated Value $2,500 - 2,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,415
Lot 2834		1903 Louisiana Purchase-McKinley Gold Dollar. Sharpness of AU-50. We note a tiny solder mark on the rim at 12 noon. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2835		1916 McKinley Gold Dollar. NGC graded MS-65. Untoned. Clearly superior to the vast majority of often mishandled or cleaned Uncirculated pieces, this dazzling reddish-golden McKinley has only a few well scattered tiny blemishes and benefits from the high production standards employed by the Mint during this period. If one were to take a poll, we'd see that the strike is standard for the issue in being sharp on the portrait with the excellent metal flows on both sides into the deeper die recesses; in other words, a desirable strike. Only 15,000 struck. Pop 387. (PCGS # 7454) . The sale of the McKinley dollars aided in paying for a memorial building at Niles, Ohio, the fallen president's birthplace. The obverse shows a profile of McKinley and was designed by Charles E. Barber; the reverse, with the memorial building was designed by George T. Morgan. Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2836		1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $2.50. PCGS graded MS-63. Well struck. A satiny example with dynamic soft-flowing luster and rich golden color, no toning (PCGS # 7450) . The centerpiece of the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco was the Tower of Jewels, which rose to 435 feet and was covered with over 100,000 cut glass Novagems. The three-quarter to 2 inch colored "gems" sparkled in the sunlight throughout the day and were illuminated by over 50 powerful electrical searchlights at night. Estimated Value $2,500 - 2,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,830
Lot 2837		1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $50 Octagonal. NGC graded MS-62. Mostly untoned example. Very popular coin. Always in demand. Only 645 examples of this historic issue were sold to collectors in commemoration of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. The prized few examples that have come down to the present in unimpaired condition are always in demand among collectors. This is an appealing MS62 despite a few hairlines and subdued luster. Both sides are free of sizeable abrasions. What's more, the powerful design is readily appreciable. Needless to say, only a carefully considered bid will obtain this coin for the forward-thinking commemorative collector. America's fairs and expos usually center around a theme. For 1915, the fair organizers in San Francisco, California paid homage to the discovery of the Pacific Ocean (1513) and the completion of the Panama Canal (1914) as the main anchors for their theme. A series of 5 coins was struck for the occasion, including complete sets mounted in metal frames or leather cases sold for $200. Many sales were made to banks and other novices; for this reason, high grade examples are especially hard to find. The larger the denomination, the harder to locate. Some were also carried as souvenir pieces, in fact. When all was said and done, only 483 Round and 645 Octagonal $50 gold pieces were sold. And it can be assumed (though no separate records were kept in this regard) that numerous specimens in the hands of the public were melted after the federal government seized America's gold coins in 1933. We estimate there are perhaps 300 to 350 in the octagonal format still in existence (PCGS # 7452) . Estimated Value $45,000 - 50,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $57,500