Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 96

February 12-15 2017 Pre-Long Beach Auction

$20 Gold

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1334		1850-O. PCGS graded AU-53. A nice example of this first year of issue for the double eagle from the New Orleans Mint. Coined in the expected greenish-yellow gold for this Mint, the surfaces show scattered abrasions which blend into the devices and fields rather well. The sharp strike is still evident, and the eye appeal is high for this popular date and mint. A condition rarity at this grade level and a coin that is worthy of a strong bid. Pop 29; 18 finer, 12 in 55, 4 in 58, 1 in 58+, 1 in 61. (PCGS # 8903) Estimate Value $15,000 - 17,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $15,275
Lot 1335		1851-O. NGC graded AU-58. Well struck with reflective surfaces. This early New Orleans was minted in fairly large numbers for this denomination, 315,000 pieces. Of course this number has been greatly reduced today and any nice, high grade example like this finds many collectors seeking its quality. The surfaces show scattered light marke from brief circulation, but clearly this coin is quite close to Mint State with just a few traces of wear on the high points of the design. An impressive example of this issue, right new the top of those known to exist. Pop 64; 20 finer at NGC. (PCGS # 8905) Estimate Value $13,000 - 15,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $13,513
Lot 1336		1852-O. NGC graded AU-58. Some luster evident and remaining mint frost on the protected areas of the devices. The surfaces are clean and attractive, with minimal signs of handling from brief circulation. Although 190,000 pieces were struck in the New Orleans Mint for the year, only about 1,000 exist today. Thankfully for collectors who are patient, a few come along in high AU grades like this to satisfy demand. This would make a good selection for the date specialist as the coin offers such great appeal and just a whisper of circulation which keeps the price out of the stratosphere. Pop 94; 30 finer at NGC. (PCGS # 8907) Estimate Value $22,000 - 25,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $18,213
Lot 1337		1854-O. NGC graded AU-53. Popular key date. Some luster still evident. Only 3,250 struck of which perhaps only 30 to 40 pieces survive. That makes this the second rarest New Orleans coin issued, just nudged out by the 1856-O double eagle, which has slightly fewer known examples today. Mathematically evident is that 1 percent or so of the original mintage survives! That's quite low for any coin. The majority of these were likely shipped overseas for international payments an subsequently melted. One of the examples known today was recovered from the shipwreck of the S. S. Republic. For reasons unknown, the vast quantities of gold coming out of the California gold rush mostly ended up being coined in either San Fransisco or Philadelphia. Hence the low production figures for New Olreans gold coins of this decade. Today these New Orleans rarities are among the most sought after double eagles. Ownership of one of these amazing key coins places ones name in the hall of numismatic fame and adds a memorable quality to any advanced collection. Why not add your name to the pedigree of this high grade and important rarity today? Pop 4; 7 finer, 3 in 55, 4 in 58. (PCGS # 8912) Estimate Value $200,000 - 250,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $305,500
Lot 1338		1855-O. NGC graded AU-50. An untoned specimen with smooth wear and attrasctive orange gold coloring typical of New Orleans issues. Liberty's cheek is smooth and attractive, but there is a small reeding mark below Liberty's chin in the field mentioned for identification purposes. Of the original 8,000 pieces struck forthe year, about 130 are known today. Pop 3; 26 finer at NGC. (PCGS # 8915) Estimate Value $30,000 - 35,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $37,600
Lot 1339		1855-S. NGC graded EF-45. Mostly untoned (PCGS # 8916) Estimate Value $2,100 - 2,200 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1340		1856-S. NGC graded AU-58. Lightly toned and impressive as most of those known today show far more wear and handling marks than this sparkling example. Pop 202; 54 finer at NGC. (PCGS # 8919) Estimate Value $2,900 - 3,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,173
Lot 1341		1856-S. 17A Full Serif, Broken A. SSCA-5119. PCGS graded AU-53. PQ. CAC. A nice frosty coin. Scrace as a Type 1 double eagle in high grade. Although a fair number were recovered from the SSCA shipwreck, they have all been widly distributed into the collecting market. An impressive example that will be quite satisfying to own. Housed in a PCGS Gold Foil Holder. Estimate Value $1,500 - 1,600 Ex S.S. Central America. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,935
Lot 1342		1856-S. NGC graded AU-50. Even wear and untoned. Housed in an Old Style Holder (PCGS # 8919) Estimate Value $1,400 - 1,500 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,939
Lot 1343		1857. NGC graded AU-58. Lightly toned and gently circulated for a very brief time. A scarce coin in this near-mint grade. Pop 125; 52 finer at NGC. (PCGS # 8920) Estimate Value $3,000 - 3,300 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,525
Lot 1344		1858. NGC graded MS-61. Well struck and fully white with ample mint frost and a sharp impression from the dies. This is a lower mintage issue from the Philadelphia Mint, but often overlooked, especially given the rarity of this date in any Mint State grade as seen here. This pleasing example would make a good selection to represent the type or date in any advanced collection. Pop 16; 11 finer, 10 in 62, 1 in 63. (PCGS # 8923) Estimate Value $7,500 - 8,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $12,338
Lot 1345		1858-S $20 Liberty. NGC graded AU-58. A hint of light gold tone with strong forsty luster in the fields. The surfaces are nice and attractive thus the eye appeal is strong. A first rate example of this early San Francisco double eagle which is seldom found any finer than this grade level. Pop 168; 25 finer, 4 in 60, 20 in 61, 1 in 63. (PCGS # 8925) Estimate Value $5,500 - 6,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,583
Lot 1346		1858-S. NGC graded AU-55. Mostly untoned. Housed in an Old Style Holder. The surfaces show scattered light marks, but ample luster resides in the fields. Boldly struck and historic, struck right near the peak of gold output from the California Gold Rush (PCGS # 8925) Estimate Value $2,500 - 2,700 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,703
Lot 1347		1860. PCGS graded AU-53. Lightly toned and frosty. Housed in an Old Green Holder (PCGS # 8929) Estimate Value $1,900 - 2,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,174
Lot 1348		1860-S. PCGS graded VF-30. Mostly untoned (PCGS # 8931) Estimate Value $1,700 - 1,800 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1349		1861. NGC graded MS-63. From the S.S. Republic. A frosty example that offers not only fantastic luster and a sharp strike, but also shows incredible eye appeal. The surfaces are so smooth and nearly free of the usual heavy bagmarks that plague these early double eagles. Rarely does a Mint State coin stay this well preserved as these coins were not carefully handled from the time they were struck, when they were shipped from the Mint to anywhere, the surfaces usually became abraided. Although 1861 is a plentiful date, precious few survive in any grade of Mint State, especially so at the Choice level as found here. Another blazing example from the shipwreck of the S.S. Republic. Pop 26; 5 finer in 64. Comes with an extraordinary fancy leather and wooden presentation box set. Estimate Value $15,000 - 16,000 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $16,450
Lot 1350		1861. NGC graded AU-58. Frosty and untoned with considerable luster remaining and a solid strike (PCGS # 8932) Estimate Value $2,900 - 3,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,055
Lot 1351		1861-S. Pacquet reverse. PCGS graded AU-53. Nice light golden toning. The strike is sharp and the surfaces are pleasing to study as there are a minimal nicks on the devices or in the fields. The Mint's assistant engraver, Anthony C. Pacquet was given the task of updating Longacre's master hub for the reverse of the double eagle. His concept left the central device intact but changed the style of lettering around the periphery of the reverse, employing taller and thinner letters for UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TWENTY D. In making this change somehow the rim of the hub became much narrower as well, thus any struck coins would have their devices and fields more open to contact and wear without the usual thicker style rim. The Mint Director Snowden apparently noticed the narrow rim after initial Philadelphia production in early 1861 and on January 5, 1861 ordered the Philadelphia mintage of these Pacquet reverse coins to be melted. All but two apparently were melted and these survive in private hands today. Snowden telegraphed the San Francisco Mint and told them to use the old style Longacre dies left over from 1860 to continue coinage of the double eagle. However, at least two Pacquet reverse dies had been sent to the San Francisco Mint. No other Pacquet dies were sent to New Orleans, or if they were sent, no coins survive of this style. The "S" Mintmark is rather squeezed into the space below the eagle's tail and nearly touches the tall letters below. For the San Francisco Pacquet reverse coins, only 19,250 were struck, and perhaps 200 or so exist today. Most of the known coins were discovered in gold hoards in European banks and these survived entirely at random. One example was recovered in the S.S. Republic shipwreck. Of those known today they reflect the usual statistics for a Type 1 double eagle, the majority fall into the VF or EF grade range with a smaller fraction seen as nice as About Uncirculated. No San Francisco Pacquet double eagles apparently survived in Mint State, while both known examples of the Philadelphia Pacquet reverse are Mint State, likely saved as a memento of this attempted design update. Pacquet remains known for his incredible die work making medals at the mint, and while his new style was not adopted because of the narrow rim, his elegant and tall lettering offers a bold glimpse into his artistic talent. Pop 13; 9 finer, 4 in 55, 5 in 58. (PCGS # 8936) Estimate Value $70,000 - 80,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $85,188
Lot 1352		1862-S. PCGS graded MS-61. Lovely golden toning and one of the finer examples of this date and mint to be reported in the PCGS Population data. The surfaces are reasonably attractive, and these is no circulation friction that is nearly always seen on the majority of 1862-S $20 coins known. These tended to circulate hard, but somehow this one was set aside since the day it was struck. A classic condition rarity for the astute collector who demands quality and eye appeal. Pop 13; 9 finer, 6 in 62, 2 in 62+, 1 in 63+. (PCGS # 8938) Estimate Value $11,000 - 12,000 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $12,925
Lot 1353		1862-S. PCGS graded AU-55. A nice untoned example that retains some of the original luster in the protected areas and a sharp strike. The surfaces are attractive, and the "S" mintmark is bold. An attractive coin from the early Civil War period. Pop 48; 87 finer at PCGS. (PCGS # 8938) Estimate Value $4,000 - 4,250 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,700
Lot 1354		1863. NGC graded MS-60. From the S.S. Republic. Well struck and frosty with incredible mint luster on both sides. While the surfaces show scattered handling marks these are from the careless handling of this coin from its brief time from leaving the Philadelphia Mint to when it was placed onboard the ill fated S. S. Republic ship. 1863 is a scarce, mid Civil War issue in any grade, and as a date was virtually unobtainable in any Mint State grade, but that luckily changed with the handful of coins recovered from this particular shipwreck. This coin will always be prized for its amazing rarity and condition. Pop 3; 14 finer, 7 in 61, 6 in 62, 1 in 63. Comes with a large wooden presentation box. Estimate Value $25,000 - 28,000 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $29,375
Lot 1355		1864. NGC graded MS-61. From the S.S. Republic. Boldly struck and fully frosty with all the mint freshness intact. Unlike many gold coins recovered from ocean shipwrecks, these coins were preserved in such a way that the delicate mint frost remained intact. Other examples, long held in numismatic collections rarely offer this degree of frost, as even casual handling seems to diminish this feature over the decades. While the number of mint state examples of 1864 double eagles remains low, a significant discovery from the S.S. Republic shipwreck of 25 individual coins from this date, including 17 that were mint state has allowed more collectors the opportunity to secure a high grade example for their collction. This particular piece is quite attractive for the intact luster and abundant frost. Pop 12; 6 finer, 5 in 62, 1 in 63. Comes with a large wooden presentation box. Estimate Value $19,000 - 20,000 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $34,075
Lot 1356		1864-S. NGC graded EF-40. (PCGS # 8942) Estimate Value $1,800 - 1,900 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,056
Lot 1357		1865. NGC graded MS-62. From the S.S. Republic. Well struck and frosty for this final year of the Civil War. The strike is full and complete, and the surfaces are attractive with minimal cuts or nicks, and would certainly be a higher technical grade but for some minor luster breaks in the field from coin to coin friction during transport. A tough issue until a modest number were recovered in the S. S. Republic shipwreck. Comes with an extraordinary fancy leather and wooden presentation box set. Estimate Value $11,000 - 13,000 View details and enlarged photos	Realized $12,925
Lot 1358		1865-S. PCGS graded MS-62. CAC. A nice strike and quite frosty. Reverse die crack by the "F" of "OF". A lovely example of the Type 1 design of double eagle, with attractive surfaces and solid visual appeal. Most examples, even in mint state, show far more abrasions than are present here. A delightful coin in every way (PCGS # 8944) Estimate Value $8,000 - 8,500 View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $10,281