Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 7

Coin and Currency Auction

$3 Gold

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 860		1878 $3 Gold. PCGS graded MS-63. Flashy luster on both sides and a good example of a choice mint state three dollar piece. Minor handling marks on both sides and well struck on all but the lower wreath. Estimated Value $2,600 - 3,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,450
Lot 861		1878 $3 Gold. NGC graded MS-63. A moderately irritated example with the usual tick marks from bag handling. Flashy luster and always a popular denomination. Estimated Value $2,600 - 3,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,875
Lot 862		1878 $3 Gold. ANACS graded AU Details (cleaned) Net EF-45. We agree. Estimated Value $450 - 500. View details	Realized $518
Lot 863		1879 $3 Gold. PCGS graded AU-50. With a paltry mintage of just 3,000 coins, this 1879 is seldom encountered as compared with the common 1878. Light handling marks on both sides, but well struck and blessed with some luster in the fields. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 864		1880 $3 Gold. PCGS graded AU-58. Down goes the mintage for 1880, only 1,000 were produced for circulation. Here is a superb example for the grade, mint fresh with some prooflike mirroring in the fields, alluring copper toning and clean surfaces. Boldly struck and a piece the date collector will long cherish. Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,800. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,415
Lot 865		1881 $3 Gold. AU-55. This is the lowest mintage of the regular issue $3 gold pieces, only 500 were coined for circulation. The surfaces retain luster near the legends and devices, and the strike is typical of the issue, with minor weakness on JBL at the base of Liberty's neck. Struck on June 4, 1881, few of which were saved in high grades. A few turned up in Europe, but this date remains one of the most coveted of the $3 rarities. Perhaps this coin was lightly cleaned years ago, it doesn't really matter, for the surfaces invite examination, and there is little to find fault with. With Breen's diagnostic lump below the crossbar of A in STATES. A tough coin to locate when you need one. Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,370
Lot 866		1882 $3 Gold. AU-58. Struck with the 2 in the date over a high 2, as noted in Breen. Excellent luster and decently struck for the date, further enhanced by clean surfaces and a low mintage of 1,500 pieces. Ever popular with date collectors, the three dollar series abounds with rarities that are vastly underappreciated. Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,495
Lot 867		1883 $3 Gold. NGC graded MS-63. Mintages died back to just 900 pieces in 1883. Demand was obviously low, and in typical government fashion, a dribble was produced each year, not enough to warrent producing the dies needed for coining them. This one is sharply struck and has flashy luster. A glass will note some meandering lines in the fields, but they are very faint. As so few were produced, the dies still have some of their prooflike mirroring which was imparted to this coin. One of the lowest mintage coins ever produced by this country, which always generates collector interest. Estimated Value $4,500 - 5,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,600
Lot 868		1883 $3 Gold. PCGS graded AU-55. Mintage: 900 pieces. Perhaps 150 to 200 survive in all, most of which in lower grades than this coin. Select in every way, with mint fresh frost on the devices, prooflike fields and a bold strike. If this coin graded slightly higher, it would cost twice as much. Another rarity for the astute numismatist to put away. Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,750. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,185
Lot 869		1884 $3 Gold. PCGS graded EF-45. An even 1,000 struck for circulation, as the various mints focused nearly all their energy on churning out millions of Morgan silver dollars. There was little demand for this curious denomination, with its origins in the 3¢ postage laws. Apparently Congress believed that the public could avoid using the large and unpopular cents for most small transactions if a 3¢ coin was in circulation. To purchase a full sheet of stamps, what better than a $3 gold coin? The $3 denomination met with little demand, and after the initial spurt, only a few years saw mintages over 5,000 coins. This particular coin has choice copper colors in the fields, with mint luster near the devices, and boasts fully struck hair on Liberty. The surfaces are nice for the grade, but there is one small mark hidden near the I of UNITED, and a similar blunt mark past the D of that word. Another date collectors dream coin. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,208
Lot 870		1885 $3 Gold. PCGS graded AU-55. Mintage ticked to a halt at 801 in 1885, obviously few survive for collectors today. This coin is decidedly original and choice for the grade. Excellent in strike, and retaining enough luster to keep any collector happy. Residing in an old style PCGS holder, another upgrade opportunity. Bid accordingly for this rare jewel. Estimated Value $1,650 - 1,850. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,415
Lot 871		1886 $3 Gold. PCGS graded Proof 63. Mint records show only 142 were struck in proof, perhaps half of which survive. This one is a choice example, the mirror fields do have some minor hairlines, as always, but are free of distracting marks. Over the years the coin has developed a coppery glow which enhances the effect. Proof gold is always exciting to own and see, the Philadelphia Mint worked very hard to produce perfectly struck pieces from polished dies, much to the delight of todays collectors. An opportunity to put away a choice example of this scarce proof date. Estimated Value $7,500 - 8,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,475
Lot 872		1886 $3 Gold. PCGS graded EF-45. Mintages continued weak in 1886, only 1,000 were coined for circulation. Perhaps 150 survive in all grades. This one has mirror fields and delicate coppery toning on both sides. Well struck, as expected, with full details on even the highest devices. Widely scattered marks, visible due to the delicate prooflike fields, and nevertheless appealing. Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,783
Lot 873		1887 $3 Gold. PCGS graded AU-55. Struck from a slightly doubled obverse die, visible on RICA. Original copper toning on both sides and retaining much of the luster in the fields. Well struck, with complete device details even on the highest points. Minor handling marks, fewer than ususally seen, even on a coin of this high grade. An increase in this years mintage to 6,000 coins, makes this downright common compared with many other dates in this series. Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,265
Lot 874		1888 $3 Gold. PCGS graded MS-66. As this series wound down in 1889, only 5,000 were coined in this second-to-last year of production. Few were saved and most were spent or melted. The PCGS Population Report notes only 14 so graded, with a single coin graded higher. Therefore, this is one of top coins known of this date. At a glance, one can see why, the surfaces are superb, with mint fresh luster in the fields and a radiant orange glow on both sides. Sharply impressed by the dies, and well preserved. A glass will locate a stray mark or two, but the surfaces are a delight to behold and this coin will be cherished long after the price is paid. Estimated Value $12,000 - 14,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $13,800
Lot 875		1888 $3 Gold. PCGS graded MS-65. Sharply impressed and a lovely gem example of this date. The fields boast full satiny luster and the coin simply glows with mint freshness. A few trivial tick marks are visible with a glass, but this piece is far and away better than virtually all other survivors of its date. Only 5,000 struck and this one of the best. The recent PCGS report shows 54 in this grade, with 17 graded higher. Estimated Value $7,500 - 8,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $8,280
Lot 876		1888 $3 Gold. PCGS graded MS-65. Only 5,000 were struck as this denomination was nearly put out pasture. The surfaces are excellent, especially the all important obverse, with a clean cheek on Liberty and clean in the surrounding fields. On the reverse there are a couple of minor bag ticks, but this coin is clearly a gem. Delicate copper toning on both sides, and very frosty. PCGS notes only 57 have been graded this high, with just 15 graded higher. Estimated Value $7,500 - 8,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $8,050
Lot 877		1888 $3 Gold. MS-60. A scarce low mintage date as only 5000 were coined for circulation. This is a strictly Uncirculated example with some very fine hairlines noted only under magnification. Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 878		1888 $3 Gold. AU-50. Once again, a low mintage of 5,000 coins for circulation. This particular piece has some scattered marks, hidden near Liberty's profile in the fields. Frosty luster and well struck, with clean surfaces suggesting this may have been lightly cleaned at some time in the past. Another for the date collector. Estimated Value $900 - 1,100. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,093
Lot 879		1889 $3 Gold. PCGS graded EF-45. Here is the tail end of $3 gold pieces, only 2,300 were struck for circulation, and most entered circulation. This one is well struck and has pleasing surfaces. There is plenty of luster in the fields, and original antique copper toning on both sides. Be sure to look over these magnificent gold pieces carefully, you'll soon see that each was hand selected for original color and excellent preservation by a finicky date collector. Estimated Value $600 - 700. View details	Realized $719

Page 2 of 2

1 | 2