Costa Family, Pelican Bay, Alymaya, Schmidt Norse-American Medals, and Desert Find of 1889-CC Morgan dollars among top collections featured in August 26-31 event
One of just four privately held examples of one of the rarest, most famous, and sought-after gold issues in the U.S. pattern series will cross the auction block in Heritage’s August 26-31 ANA U.S. Coins Signature® Auction.
Offered in this auction is a magnificent 1879 Liberty Head Quintuple Stella, Judd-1643, Pollock-1843, Low R.7, PCGS PR64 Deep Cameo, or Metric double eagle, Judd-1643. Quintuple stellas are closely associated with their even more famous four-dollar pattern siblings, the always-popular stellas of 1879 and 1880, but the quintuple stellas are much rarer. Only five examples are known to collectors, and one of them is included in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, forever out of reach of eager collectors.
“This is a remarkable coin, one that immediately will become a highlight in its new collection,” says Todd Imhof, Executive Vice President of Heritage Auctions. “Quintuple stellas are exceptionally rare, and even rarer being part of any public auction. The example offered here previously has been a part of some of the elite collections in all of numismatics, including Virgil Brand, the Amon Carter Family Collection, Ed Trompeter and Bob R. Simpson, and will be a bona fide trophy for its next owner.”
Also among the highlights are a selection of five gold Stellas, including two magnificent Coiled Hair specimens. Coiled Hair Stellas were struck in extremely limited quantities for sale to collectors in 1879 and 1880, and were offered as part of three-coin Goloid sets, together with a Goloid dollar pattern (Judd-1631) and a Metric dollar pattern (Judd-1622). Old auction citations indicate that only 10 examples were struck, but a few more are known today for the 1879 issue. Among the remaining examples is an 1879 Coiled Hair Stella, Judd-1638, Pollock-1838, JD-1, R.6, PCGS PR65. CAC that will cross the block in this auction and is one of just 13 examples traced of a coin that is one of the premier rarities in American numismatics. Joining it is its twin, a spectacular 1880 Coiled Hair Stella in NGC PF67 CAC, which is one of only nine known for that issue. On rare occasions, when they become available, Coiled Hair Stellas can transcend numismatic specialization and appeal to a variety of pattern specialists, gold collectors, and advanced enthusiasts of regular issues.
The event also boasts a trio of Flowing Hair Stellas, including a magnificent 1880 Flowing Hair Stella, Judd-1657, Pollock-1857, JD-1, High R.6, NGC PF66 Cameo, that is one of just 18 examples traced. The 1880 Flowing Hair Stella is a classic rarity in the U.S. gold series, avidly pursued by pattern enthusiasts and regular gold specialists alike. Although PCGS CoinFacts estimates the surviving population of the issue at 20-25 examples in all grades, Heritage Auctions experts have been able to confirm just 18 survivors. These glittering rarities seldom appear at public auction, generating significant interest from serious collectors when they do.
Costa Family Collection, Part I
Featured among the nearly 2,000 lots in the auction are items from numerous Featured Collections. One of them is the Costa Family Collection, a 94-lot trove that includes among its highlights four of the gold pattern rarities described above. Other prized lots in the collection include an 1852 Assay Office Fifty Dollar, 900 Thous. PCGS MS64 CAC. K-14, R.5, that is tied for the finest certified example, a 1797 Large Eagle Ten Dollar, BD-3, R.5, PCGS MS62, and the finest known 1652 Oak Tree Sixpence, IN on Obverse, Noe-22, W-400, Salmon 2b-B, R.5, NGC MS66★ CAC. A splendid array of rare Betts medals fills out The Costa Family Collection offering, including the only privately held example of the Betts-35 Cecil Calvert Maryland Map Medal, the first Indian Peace medal.
Pelican Bay Collection, Part II
The Pelican Bay Collection, Part II, features 118 lots, including 56 Seated Liberty dollars, including an 1871-CC Seated Liberty Dollar NGC MS64. OC-1, High R.4 that is tied for the finest certified example. The Carson City Mint struck just 1,376 Seated Liberty dollars, the smallest mintage of the Carson City series, in 1871, and all were released immediately into circulation. Few high-quality specimens were saved for numismatic purposes. The coin offered in this auction once was a highlight of the Norweb Collection, and later held spots in the Richmond Collection and the Jack Lee Collection.
Colorado Collection
Among the highlights of this 33-lot collection is the finest certified example of an 1800 Capped Bust Right Eagle BD-1, High R.3, NGC SP66 that has been off the market for years. The 1800 Capped Bust Right eagle has been a favorite of collectors since the earliest days of the hobby. Examples began appearing at auction as early as 1859.
Other highlights from the collection include an 1831 Quarter Eagle BD-1, JD-1, R.7 as a Proof, PCGS PR64 Cameo, and a 1834 Classic Head Quarter Eagle, HM-1, JD-1, R.7 as a Proof, PCGS PR64 Cameo.
Alymaya Collection
Collectors of rare Saint-Gaudens double eagles will be drawn to the 16 trophies that can be found in the Alymaya Collection, which counts among its highlights the spectacular Duckor-Godard specimen of the 1921 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, PCGS MS66 (learn more about the 1921 Double Eagle with CoinWeek Notes) that is tied for the finest known example. Three other 1921 Saint-Gaudens double eagles, including the one Heritage sold in November 2005 for $1,092,500, have brought seven-figure results. This example enjoyed increased notoriety when Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor included it in their PCGS Registry Set, which included only the finest specimens. When this coin was certified prior to its 2012 offering, PCGS awarded a grade of MS66, tied with the Morse coin for finest certified at either leading grading service.
Another highlight from the collection is the finest known 1927-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle PCGS MS67 CAC. Of the 3.1 million pieces produced, nearly all were melted in the 1930s. In the 1940s, the 1927-S was considered the fourth-scarcest issue in the series; from the original mintage, only 3,750 1927-S twenties were released through official channels. Of the 295 pieces reported by both major services, 76 are in circulated grades from XF40 to AU58, proving the 1927-S was publicly released, at least in small numbers, at the time of issue. But the 1927-S is known best as an absolute rarity with perhaps only 300 or so individual coins surviving in all grades combined, according to Roger Burdette. Most of the Uncirculated coins known are lower-end examples, seldom seen above MS62. At the upper end of Uncirculated, there is a small but important group of outstanding coins, perhaps as many as 14 to 16 pieces, that grade MS65 to MS67.
Desert Find of 1889-CC Morgan Dollars
This incredible collection includes 35 previously unknown 1889-CC Morgan Dollars, many of which are Prooflike to Deep Mirror Prooflike, in what has been called one of the greatest Morgan dollar finds of modern times. The coins appear to have been put into paper rolls, dated January 1957, and put away — quite possibly unseen since the 1950s or early 1960s. Among the top selections in this magnificent trove is an 1889-CC Dollar PCGS MS64 Deep Mirror Prooflike. VAM-3 that is among the finest DMPL coins known. In a compilation of elite coins carrying higher-end grades of MS63 and MS64, this coin tops the list as the only example that grades MS64 Deep Mirror Prooflike.
Other highlights in the collection include an 1889-CC Morgan Dollar PCGS MS64+. VAM-5A, an 1889-CC Morgan Dollar PCGS MS63+ Prooflike VAM-3, and an 1889-CC $1 PCGS MS63 Deep Mirror Prooflike. VAM-3.
David F. Schmidt Collection of Norse-American Medals
Another exceptional collection in the auction is a selection of medals from the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia commemorating the arrival of The Restauration — a Norwegian ship that arrived in America in 1825 carrying 45 immigrants, many of whom settled in Minnesota. Now, a century after the centennial celebration, a selection of the rarest of those medals, from the collection of David F. Schmidt, which represents perhaps the greatest collection of these pieces of modern times, will be in play in this auction.
Top offerings among the 14-lot David F. Schmidt Norse-American Collection include, but are not limited to, a 1925 Norse-American Centennial Gold Medal, with the No. 1 Stamped on the Edge, NGC PR65, that features an edge stamp suggesting it likely was the first struck Norse-American Centennial gold medal, one that carries a grade of PCGS PR65 CAC and is one of about 30 surviving examples and several rare or unique die trial pieces.
Additional highlights from the many other Featured Collections include but are not limited to:
- A San Francisco Mint Type Two Hallmark Vertical Gold Ingot. 398.55 Ounces
- An 1829 Small Date Half Eagle, BD-2, R.7, PCGS MS61 CAC
- An 1854-O Liberty Double Eagle PCGS AU53. Winter-1
- An 1856-O Liberty Double Eagle NGC XF40. Variety 1
- An 1808 Quarter Eagle BD-1, R.4, NGC MS63
- A 1793 Wreath, Vine and Bars Edge Cent, S-8, B-13, R.3, PCGS MS67 Brown
- A 1964 “SMS” Kennedy Half Dollar PCGS SMS SP68
Heritage is an ANA Event Auctioneer Partner. Images and information about all lots in the auction can be found at HA.com/1385.
