Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 57

Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction

$2.50 Gold

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 2063		1796 $2.50 Capped Bust. No stars. PCGS graded AU-58 PQ. The more "plentiful" of the two die varities for the type, if such a word is appropriate for this prestigious numismatic gold coin. Well struck on a mostly problem-free planchet. We note a few very minor hairline adjustment marks in the unprotected right obverse field and these are well concealed by the lovely rich natural golden toning. The reverse is brilliant and semi prooflike. A Premium Quality coin for the given grade. It is believed -- based upon estimates by Walter Breen -- that only 963 examples were struck of the first quarter eagle. Interestingly, these were of a one-off design, a motif that would be discontinued after these 963 coins left the press. Within this small population there are two die varieties -- two different reverse dies differing from each other only by minute details. Believed to have been designed by Robert Scot, the 1796 quarter eagle features the capped head ("bust") of Liberty facing right. The field is plain, framed only by a low raised rim, with the date 1796 below the bust. The reverse is of the Large or Heraldic Eagle design similar to the one used on all gold and silver denominations of the period. It was adapted from the Great Seal of the United States. The main motif depicts an eagle with a shield on its breast, holding an olive branch and arrows in its claws, and in its beak a ribbon inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM. An array of stars lies above, with clouds forming an arc from one wing to the other. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds. There is no mark indicating the denomination. Of the 963 pieces believed to have been minted, it has been estimated by David Akers, a student of the subject, that perhaps as many as 30 to 40 survive today, although other estimates put the number lower, into the range of 15 to 20 pieces. Others have suggested the 100 mark. Irrespective of which estimate one chooses, the 1796 quarter eagle is famous as an elusive and sought-after early Capped Bust American gold coin. Pop 14; 7 finer, 3 in 61, 3 in 62, 1 in 65. (PCGS # 7645) . Estimated Value $100,000 - 120,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2064		1808 $2.50 Capped Bust. NGC graded AU-55. Well struck on a far better than average planchet with the only defect a minor imperfection at stars 8 thru 10. Untoned with plenty of mint luster to justify this lofty grade. Only 2710 struck and always in great demand as a one year type. The reason for the short duration of the rare and coveted "Capped Draped Bust" quarter eagle is this: Shortly after the Philadelphia Mint began striking the coin, it ceased quarter eagle production entirely due to lack of demand from bullion depositors. When production of quarter eagles resumed 12 years later in 1821, new designs had been introduced for half eagles of 1813 through 1820, which designs the quarter eagle copied. (Sharing designs among different denominations of the same metallic content had a long tradition at the United States Mint.) The engraver responsible for the 1808 Capped Draped Bust Left design (as it is called) was John Reich, a German who sold himself into indentured service in order to travel to the United States. Reich became an assistant engraver at the Mint in 1807 and assisted the aging Robert Scot with design and die preparation. It was Reich who was mainly responsible for the designs used on the 1808 quarter eagle (first for the half eagle, on which they were introduced in 1807). On the obverse, Liberty faces left, wearing a soft cap similar to the fashionable headgear worn by women of the day. It is inscribed LIBERTY on the headband. Her bust is lightly draped (the cap and drapery give the coin one of its names). The reverse first used on the half eagle in 1807 as well, and on the quarter eagle in 1808, has an eagle with its wings outstretched, head over its shoulder. It grasps an olive branch (representing peace) in the right claw and three arrows in the left (for war). The eagle's head direction towards the olive branch implies a preference for peace in heraldry. A shield overlays the eagle's breast. The denomination appears below. This is the first instance of a denomination on a U.S. gold coin. Reich made this single obverse and reverse die pair for the quarter eagle. Once he finished the dies production occurred early in the year; the 2,710 coins were all delivered February 26, 1808. No more were produced. Pop 5; 29 finer (PCGS # 7660) . Estimated Value $70,000 - 75,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $83,375
Lot 2065		1824/1 $2.50 Capped Head. NGC graded MS-61. Some light scratches and other field marks on the reverse. Smaller but typical abrasions on Liberty and in the surrounding fields which clarify why this is MS61 and not a point or so h igher. Frosted head on Liberty. This rare quarter eagle was made during the year John Quincy Adams was elected as a one-term President. Adams, the son of the second U.S. chief executive, was one of the most capable men to hold the highest office in the United States. Contemporaries got a glimpse of his intellectual savvy when, as Secretary of State under President James Monroe, Adams served as the architect of the Monroe Doctrine. The gold coins made during the 1820s were mainly half eagles, as this is the size and weight of similar European gold coins that exporters, importers, bankers, and merchants preferred. The lowly quarter eagles were made in dribs and drabs throughout the 1820s. In some years, none were made. 1824 is characteristically rare in all grades. This is especially so in Mint condition. Pop 6; 3 finer, 2 in 63, 1 in 64 (PCGS # 7663) . Each and every quarter eagle of the early (1796-1834) range is a rarity in an absolute sense, and only the connoisseur with true patience is able to assemble a complete set of dates and overdates. Many times a coin such as this 1824 will be off the market for up to 20 or 30 years, making this an opportunity for the advanced buyer and specialist. Estimated Value $25,000 - 27,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $24,150
Lot 2066		1834 $2.50 Classic Head. NGC graded AU-55. Both sides exhibit subdued golden hues. Attractive shimmering luster is evident in the protected areas. This short-lived design was by William Kneass. Production years were from 1834 to 1839, with bullion from melted "old tenor" coins of 1795-1834 half eagles and quarter eagles used to make planchets for this new Type (PCGS # 7692) . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,208
Lot 2067		1836 $2 1/2 Script 8. NGC graded AU-55. Warm golden toning on both sides. A hint of glittering luster can be seen in the protected areas, though somewhat softly impressed on the main devices. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,100. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,150
Lot 2068		1839-C $2.50 Classic Head. PCGS graded AU-55. Lovely golden toning. Only 18,140 pieces struck. This date is notable for two features visible to the naked eye: extensive die cracks running hither and yon on both sides (how could the dies have kept together!), and multiple cuttings on the 39 of the date. We note a light hairline across the open space above the eagle. Luster in all protected areas. While a relatively common coin in worn grades, the '39-C is very elusive in solid AU55 condition with few pieces known (PCGS # 7699) . Historic note: The story of the Charlotte, North Carolina Mint begins with the discovery of gold in that part of the country. As the area grew in both wealth and prestige, there was soon agitation on the part of North Carolina's congressional delegation to establish a branch of the United States Mint at Charlotte, the seat of Mecklenburg County. From 1838 to 1861 (when it was closed permanently at the start of the Civil War) Charlotte struck gold coins exclusively, in denominations of $1, $2.50, and $5. Mintage tended to be low in most years, with 1838-C and 1839-C distinctive for their head style and placement of the mintmark on the obverse (above the date), as well as for their rarity. Estimated Value $6,500 - 7,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $8,050
Lot 2069		1842-D $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded AU-58. Repunched date. Lustrous light yellow gold. Excellent strike -- notably so -- including with far above average (but not necessarily needle sharp) definition on the eagle's leg to the left. A highly important variety. Few exist in Mint condition (as the following census make public). On this D-mint issue, the date logotype sits high and more deeply impressed at the top of the date than at the bottom, indicating that the logotype punch was not driven in a true vertical alignment. The reverse D mintmark overlaps a feather, with part of the feather visible at the center of the letter and a tiny part extending from the left of the upright. Why so few coins minted? In the present case only 4,643 coins from a single pair of dies, all of which have the repunched date as noted above. Perhaps the supplies of bullion dried up that year. More likely, orders for the half eagle outweighed, since gold depositors under a traditional free-coinage system as we had in the 1840s, could and often did ask for specific denominations when they brought their bullion to the Mint to be coined. Nearly all the 1842-D quarter eagles have disappeared, with the result that today one faces limited offerings. Pop 9; 5 finer, 4 in 61, 1 in 62 (PCGS # 7725) . Estimated Value $12,000 - 13,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $14,375
Lot 2070		1844-C $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded EF-40. Only 11,622 struck. Untoned. A few old marks. Scarce. The Charlotte specialist will wish to consider this opportunity carefully and bid strongly. (To reiterate what we have said on other occasions, population numbers should be taken with a grain of salt as such numbers may not represent discrete specimens.) For those engaged in studying a coin's die characteristics, the 1844 date logotype is deeply punched into the die, and set far left. The top of the 1 touches the base of the neck truncation, while the lower left serif of the 1 touches a dentil. Pop 9; 63 finer (PCGS # 7735) . Estimated Value $1,600 - 1,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,955
Lot 2071		1851 $2.50 Liberty. Filed Rims. Our grade is sharpness of EF (PCGS # 7759) . Estimated Value $175 - 200. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $253
Lot 2072		1853 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded AU-55. A splash of toning here and there. Date low and close to the rim dentils (PCGS # 7767) . Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $299
Lot 2073		1856 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-62. Pleasing lustrous surfaces are satin-like with choice golden brilliance. Nicely struck for the date, with some parts of the hair braid soft along with BER of Liberty; most reverse details present, though again nothing approaching "full" can be said. Fully struck coins from the 1850s are rare. Pop 70. Estimated Value $475 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2074		1860 Type 1. NGC graded AU-58. Type 1. Semi-reflective surfaces. A scarce Red Book variety. The old-style or Type 1 reverse of 1859/60/61 is most readily identified by the long arrowheads. This is from the hub of 1840-58, where the lowest arrowhead almost touches CA and the eagle's talons are closed. Date logotype punched lightly into the die. First digit repunched at bottom. The logotype this year illustrates the 8 leaning very slightly to the left, and the base of the 6 considerably higher than the base of the adjacent 0. Pop 8; 7 finer, 5 in 61, 1 in 62, 1 in 63. Estimated Value $2,500 - 2,800. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2075		1862-S $2.50 Liberty. Our grade is sharpness of Fine cleaned. A low mintage date of only 8,000 pieces of which 80 are estimated to have survived (PCGS # 7798) . Estimated Value $400 - 450. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $604
Lot 2076		1866-S $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded AU Details, improperly cleaned. A pleasing looking coin even under a strong glass; honey color toning on both sides. A lower mintage date: 38,960 made (PCGS # 7804) . Estimated Value $600 - 700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2077		1870-S $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded AU-58. Nice golden toning. Only 16,000 minted. Frosty golden surfaces display much residual luster with natural patina. Sharp and appealing for this scarce, low-mintage San Francisco Mint issue. Pop 24; 12 finer. (PCGS # 7812) . Estimated Value $1,700 - 1,800. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,524
Lot 2078		1873 $2.50 Liberty. Open 3. PCGS graded MS-64. A well struck frosty mint example, lightly toned. In an old green label holder. Strong metal flow augments the already showy mint luster that covers the surfaces of this '73-P quarter eagle, giving the coin a brand new, glowing appearance. The mint brilliance is only broken up by an rare overlay of pale patina. A solidly graded example, this MS64 displays above-average striking definition for a Liberty $2.50 from this decade. This is to say that the strike is complete including all stars, and not even a single fused hair strand over Liberty's brow to keep this coin from being full. Pop 7; 2 in 66 (PCGS # 7818) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2079		1880 $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded Proof 64 Cameo. Only 36 Proofs minted. Pop 6; 2 finer, 1 in 65, 1 in 66. There is a small spot between the 1st and 2nd star, something to use as an identifier. As few as a dozen Proofs are traced for this rare date, comprising a third of the 36-coin mintage. What's more, this is the lovely Byron Reed Collection specimen sporting glittering warm orange-gold patina aligned with sharply detailed obverse and reverse devices that instills confidence in NGC's grade assignment. The Cameo contrast is from nice frosty devices that are surrounded by deep reflective fields. Proofs of 1882 were well made. Nothing prevents it from being otherwise. And that is why this is a coin to follow through with a firm bid before it's sale is history (PCGS # 87906) . Diagnostics: High date; pointed forelock; die polish at BERTY and at and below ear, interrupted by a rust pit from jaw; other die rust pits before lovelock. Reverse similar to 1877 but dentils farther apart, nothing within E(S): same die repolished? Estimated Value $14,000 - 15,000. Ex: Byron Reed Collection Lot #67 October 1996 (Realized $15,950). View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $16,100
Lot 2080		1900 $2.50 Liberty. Improperly cleaned (PCGS # 7852) . Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $264
Lot 2081		1903 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-63. Both sides display subdued golden toning. Sharply struck and lustrous (PCGS # 7855) . Estimated Value $800 - 850. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $805
Lot 2082		1903 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded AU-58. Delicate golden tones and a touch of russet hues about the borders. A short mark by the lips (PCGS # 7855) . Estimated Value $250 - 275. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $299
Lot 2083		1904 $2.50 Liberty PCGS graded Genuine. Our grade is sharpness of MS63 with a reverse scratch (PCGS # 7856) . Estimated Value $300 - 325. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $324
Lot 2084		1905 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-63 PQ. Lovely golden toning adds to its appeal as pleasant, almost cheery gold satin frost provides lots of fresh color (PCGS # 7857) . Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,050. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $920
Lot 2085		1905 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-62. Mostly untoned, the lustrous fields and devices beam with soft satin frost (PCGS # 7857) . Estimated Value $400 - 450. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $460
Lot 2086		1905 $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded MS-62. Broadly and well struck on the legends and main device including stars, which is preferable, details at the centers are all bold (PCGS # 7857) . Estimated Value $400 - 450. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $449
Lot 2087		1906 $2.50 Liberty. Altered Surfaces. Our grade is MS60+ (PCGS # 7858) . Estimated Value $300 - 325. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $374
Lot 2088		A Pair of $2½ Liberties. Consists of: 1852 and 1861 VF to EF. Both have been cleaned. Estimated Value $250 - 300. View details	Realized $443
Lot 2089		A Lot of $2½ Liberties. Consists of: 1873 VF scratches, 1878-S EF cleaned, 1878-S VF scratches, 1879 VF rim nicks, and 1879 EF cleaned. A total of 5 coins. Estimated Value $650 - 700. View details	Realized $1,121
Lot 2090		A Trio of $2½ Liberties. Consists of: 1897, 1899, and 1903. All three are sharpness of EF and cleaned. Estimated Value $350 - 400. View details	Realized $863
Lot 2091		1908 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-62. Delicate golden toning. Popular first year of issue. Estimated Value $475 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $483
Lot 2092		1908 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded AU-58. Estimated Value $225 - 250. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $311
Lot 2093		1908 $2.50 Indian. Sharpness of About Uncirculated. We note some scratches. Estimated Value $100 - 120. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $204
Lot 2094		1909 $2½. Cleaned. Housed in a 14kt yellow gold rope bezel. EF 40. Estimated Value $250 - 300. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $242
Lot 2095		1910 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded Genuine, cleaned. Our grade is Sharpness of Mint State. Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $242
Lot 2096		1911 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-64. Crisp golden frost, virtually undisturbed mint luster that is bright. We leave behind the luster, since it pretty much expresses itself to the viewer of the photographs, and move on to the devices. Even the most delicate detail seen on this Indian $5 shows it was made with uncommon exactness for the issue. Pop 601; 72 finer, 71 in 65, 1 in 66 (PCGS # 7942) . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,553
Lot 2097		1911-D $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-62. Lovely golden toning. A nice example of this key date. Both sides put on view the distinctive "look" for this rare D-mint delivery: smoothly frosted surfaces, rolling natural toning effects, and boldly defined devices. There is nothing hesitant about this one. Moving along, we can gladly report a highly presentable strike on the mintmark, with boldness to the "D" only now and then found. All other areas are sharp as well. Two points where we see no compromises in the detail are the war bonnet's headband with its pattern of zigzag dots, and the feathers sticking out from the end of the same band above the Indian's ear. 1911-D is the key date in the 15 coin Indian head series. Indeed, Denver Mint struck only three dates within the series, 1914-D and 1925-D being the other two. The obverse portrays Brule Lakota Chief Hollow Horn Bear, who had taken part in Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade, March 4, 1905. The Chief died March 15, 1913, according to the notice in the April 1913 Numismatist, which misidentified him as the model for the 1899 $5 Silver Certificates. His true identity as Boston sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt's model for the 1908 Quarter Eagles and half eagles first came to light in an exhibit in the 1988 ANA Convention (PCGS # 7943) . Estimated Value $9,500 - 10,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $10,465
Lot 2098		1911-D $2.50 Indian. NGC graded MS-61. Mostly untoned. Key date. Only 55,680 minted. This boldly struck and brilliant gold example exhibits good definition on Indian's features and feathers. The obverse luster is moderately frosty, while the frosted eagle creates a pleasing effect on the reverse as well. Both sides have a few wispy marks, but these are fewer in number and severity than is usual for an '11-D in MS61 grade. Light golden toning graces a few areas. No notable marks on either side, while the mintmark is clearly impressed by the dies (the most valuable state of preservation). The combination of rarity, quality, deep strike and low mintage is formidable in the short-lived Indian head quarter eagle series. The present piece is worthy of a place in a BU set (PCGS # 7943) . Estimated Value $7,500 - 8,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $8,050
Lot 2099		1911-D $2.50 Indian. NGC graded AU-58. 55,680 pieces minted of which only 7,833 are estimated to have survived (the survival rate is from a respected reference book on the series). Key date Indian Quarter Eagle. A gleaming lustrous high grade example of the one true rare date in this series. Popular design set, the 1911-D is usually the last addition a collector makes in completing the 15-coin set. The profuse luster blends smoothly with sharply detailed highlights on the well struck design. Put a glass to it anywhere and you will be pleasantly surprised at the fine detail that is revealed (PCGS # 7943) . Estimated Value $4,500 - 5,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $5,463
Lot 2100		1912 $2.50 Indian. NGC graded AU-58. Subtle golden toning. Also comes with a PCGS AU58 tag. A nice coin (PCGS # 7944) . Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $265
Lot 2101		1912 $2½ Indian. VF-35. Light hairlines and cleaned. Estimated Value $125 - 135. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $192
Lot 2102		1913 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-63. Light golden toning. Estimated Value $850 - 900. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $920
Lot 2103		1913 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-62. Light golden toning. Estimated Value $475 - 500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $506
Lot 2104		1913 $2.50 Indian. NGC graded MS-60. Lustrous and generally well struck, though with minor rounding on some of the headdress feathers and a few marks on the Indian's cheek (PCGS # 7945) . Estimated Value $250 - 275. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $300
Lot 2105		1913 $2½ Indian. ANACS graded AU-55. Lustrous. Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $253
Lot 2106		1914 $2.50 Indian. NGC graded AU-58. Lightly toned (PCGS # 7946) . Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $483
Lot 2107		1914-D $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded AU-58. Delicately toned with lustrous surface (PCGS # 7947) . Estimated Value $200 - 220. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $265
Lot 2108		1915 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-63. Nice golden toning atop lustrous fields. Suitable for a gold Type Set (PCGS # 7948) . Estimated Value $850 - 900. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,150
Lot 2109		1915 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-61. Estimated Value $300 - 330. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $391
Lot 2110		1925-D $2.50 Indian. NGC graded MS-63. Bright and frosty. A well struck Denver Mint issue (PCGS # 7949) . Estimated Value $700 - 750. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,064
Lot 2111		1926 $2.50 Indian. NGC graded MS-64. Bright and frosty, this coin struck exceptionally well on all devices (PCGS # 7950) . Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,150. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,610
Lot 2112		1927 $2.50 Indian. PCGS graded MS-62. Estimated Value $400 - 425. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $426

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