Every now and then in numismatics a coin comes along that is so fine in quality and visual appeal that superlatives fail. Such is the Gem Proof Restrike 1853 Liberty Seated dollar in our Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, October 29 – November 1. This spectacular coin is part of the incredible “1853 Collection” that we will showcase in our Baltimore auction event. This gorgeous silver dollar displays vibrant sky blue iridescence that engages the devices and contrasts nicely with the deep steel-rose surfaces.
Only a handful of Proof restrikes of the date were produced, at a date sometime after 1853, and perhaps only a dozen or so can be accounted for today with any accuracy. Of that number, the present piece is the finest certified by PCGS, with no competitors even close in grade in that firm’s Population Report. We first offered this beauty in our February 1947 sale of the Geiss Collection, in which it had resided for years. Its next appearance was in our landmark offering of the Starr Collection in October 1992, and now it is offered to another generation of eager collectors. Should you pass on the opportunity to acquire this rarity, you may have passed on the only chance you will ever have to add this beauty to your collection. Specialists will be out in full force when this rarity crosses the auction block, and we expect a final hammer price that will be well into the five-figure range; indeed, the price may enter the six-figure category when all is said and done. Don’t miss out!
