It has been long
hiatus—exactly 12 years—since we last offered a portion of the Archangel
Collection, the amazing assemblage of Territorial gold coins that were featured
in Stack’s November 2006 Norweb Collection catalog. The private collector who
formed the cabinet was a friend to many at Stack’s, and after his recent
passing, his family decided to make these coins available to the next
generation, enabling them to be curators of these monetary relics of early
America.
Formed with the eye of a connoisseur and the able
assistance of consummate numismatists Lawrence R. Stack and John P. Burnham,
the Archangel Collection brings forth superb type coins not seen at public
auction in at least three to four decades, and sometimes over a century. One
could not have gotten better advice. One of Larry’s longtime loves and
specialties is colonial coins. John is a numismatic polymath who served as
one-time curator of the Yale Numismatic Collection and as a numismatist for
Stack’s for over 35 years, starting in the early 1970s. The superb collection
was formed over the course of just a decade from 1974 to 1984, an era that was
rich in private treaty opportunities and numismatic auctions that disgorged
colonial rarity after colonial rarity, allowing the building of the previously
unheralded collection presented in this catalog.
The delicacies to follow are generally reminiscent of
the Kendall Foundation Collection we sold in March 2015, although Archangel
focuses on a slightly more selective group of major types and has several
lacunae that may be excused in the light of what is present.
More than
compensating for these lacunae is coin after coin of astounding rarity, quality
and pedigree. Every major colonial coin auction of the Archangel collector’s
era was taken advantage of. These included acquisitions at Stack’s sales of the
Donald Groves (1974), David Spence (1975), Essex Institute (1975), Laird Park
(1976), Robison (1982), Roper (1983), and Picker (1984) collections, as well as
coins from the Massachusetts Historical Society (many ex William Sumner
Appleton) offered in the Stack’s 1976 ANA Auction. Private acquisitions from
Stack’s, purchases of cherries in non-name Stack’s auctions, as well as a few
purchases from other auction houses filled out the 155 pieces in the set.
In a collection of this sort, picking favorites is a
mine field, as all coins stand tall on their own merits. Several are worthy of
note just for the rarity of opportunity to acquire an example. The collection
opens with a knockout NE shilling, the first of many pieces of choice
Massachusetts Bay Colony silver. What is perhaps the finest known Martlet
variety Saint Patrick farthing is a highlight of the other 17th century issues.
The near Gem 1733 Rosa Americana twopence carries an unbroken provenance
stretching back at least 150 years and includes Parmelee, Garrett, and an
appearance on the Crosby plate; in the 19th century, it sold for more than
rarities that command multi-million dollar prices today. A superb set of
Elephant tokens is headlined by the Choice Mint State Carolina type with
PROPRIETERS spelling, ex Garrett. The top quality Brand-Robison silver Immune
Columbia is soon followed by Appleton’s own 1785 Inimica Tyrannis Americana
Confederatio copper.
Collectors of the coinages of the 1780s will not be
disappointed by the quality presented in the Archangel Collection. The only
1787 Massachusetts half cent certified RB by PCGS, ex Essex Institute, is a
coin that probably never left the state of Massachusetts until 1975. The finest
known 1786 New Jersey Immunis Columbia is succeeded by none other than the
finest known 1787 New Jersey Maris 6-C with which it shares the “Pattern
Shield” reverse and the stupendous MS-63 BN grade. An astounding 1786 Vermont
Landscape copper graded MS-63+ BN is the finest certified by PCGS and may well
be the best extant Vermont Landscape; it is simply perfect in every way. New
York issues will turn heads, led by William Sumner Appleton’s 1787 George
Clinton copper, second finest known, and including a superb 1787 Standing
Indian copper with New York Arms, now graded AU-53 by PCGS and also ex
Appleton. The 1787 UNITED over STATES Fugio is graded MS-66 RB by PCGS and is
the single finest graded Fugio copper, period.
Washington pieces are numerous, and include a comprehensive
set of 1792 Getz patterns and 1792 Washington President and Washington Born
Virginia patterns by Perkins, which are the perfect segue into the finale of
the sale: a type set of U.S. patterns of 1792 missing only the Wright Eagle on
Globe pattern. The 1792 half disme is a gleaming Choice Mint State coin, while
the unique Plain Edge Birch cent is nearly Mint State. The Judd-1 Silver Center
cent is Choice EF and comes from Judd’s own collection, and the 1792 disme in copper is a perfect, trouble free example
that is a hair’s breadth from Mint State.
The pages to follow describe one of the last great
fresh-to-the-market collections of superb quality early American coinage
assembled before most current collectors of colonial coins had discovered the
field, and before slabbing was invented in the form we know today. We encourage
you to look closely and bid wisely, as the opportunity to obtain some of the
rarities to follow may not come again for another 30 or 40 years!
Click here to download a free copy of the catalog to
your computer or mobile device This collection will cross the block beginning October 26, at 6:30PM ET in
Room 308 of the Baltimore Convention Center. Click here to view the lots
online.
