Costa Mesa, CA – Stack’s Bowers Galleries is thrilled to offer a pair of extremely rare early U.S. Proof coins from the Capped Bust series in their August 2023 Global Showcase Auction. Presented as part of the Legacy Collection, these rarities include a Proof-64 (PCGS) 1821 Capped Bust quarter rated Rarity-7+ and a Proof-58 (PCGS) 1828 Capped Bust half dollar, O-118a, that is thought to be unique in this format.
Among the rarest category of classic U.S. Mint coinage, early Proofs can usually be counted on one hand for a particular issue and the number available for private ownership is generally even fewer as examples are often held in museum collections. For those in private hands, market appearances are often separated by many years, if not decades. It is a significant occasion when any pre-1858 Proof coin is offered in the modern numismatic market, and the appearance of two such examples in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries August 2023 sale represents a great opportunity for sophisticated collectors.
The Proof-64 (PCGS) 1821 Capped Bust quarter is a newly confirmed addition to the census, having just been certified as a Proof by PCGS ahead of this sale. Attractively original in preservation, the surfaces are beautifully toned in a bold array of iridescent rose-gray, salmon-pink, reddish-apricot and cobalt blue.
Produced in small numbers for official purposes or otherwise by special request, Proof 1821 quarters have been major numismatic rarities since the year of issue. Remarkably, the mintage was never recorded by Mint personnel. Through their research, Stack’s Bowers Galleries has identified six Proof 1821 Capped Bust quarters in total, including uncertified examples. The Proof-64 (PCGS) offered in the firm’s August 2023 sale deserves the undivided attention of advanced specialists.
The Proof-58 (PCGS) 1828 Capped Bust half dollar is another extremely rare coin. Researcher Walter Breen mentions this exact specimen in his Proof Encyclopedia, although he states that it is “unverified” as he did not have the opportunity to examine it. More than three decades later, this assumption has finally been confirmed by PCGS and the experts at Stack’s Bowers Galleries. This coin may very well be the only surviving example from the O-118a dies to show Proof surfaces. A powerful testament to the extreme rarity of this issue is that fact no Proof example was included in the Pittman, Eliasberg and Garrett collections.
This Proof-58 (PCGS) example now ranks as the only Proof 1828 half dollar of any Overton attribution certified by PCGS and NGC. It is a coin that, once purchased, will surely be cherished as a leading highlight in a world class numismatic cabinet.
For questions on either of these monumental early Proof coins from the Legacy Collection or to order a copy of the printed catalog, contact Stack’s Bowers Galleries at (800) 458-4646 or email info@stacksbowers.com. The complete Stack’s Bowers Galleries August 2023 Global Showcase Auction will be posted for pre-bidding on the firm’s website in mid-July. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is currently accepting consignments of U.S. coins, currency, and Physical Cryptocurrency for their November 2023 Showcase Auction and monthly Collectors Choice Online Auctions.
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s nearly 90-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, The Sydney F. Martin Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Pinnacle Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Salton Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, and The Thos. H. Law Collection.
The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with galleries in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Offices are also located in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Hong Kong, Paris and Vancouver. Stack’s Bowers Galleries hosts an annual Global Showcase in August featuring United States coins and currency, Ancient coins and World coins and currency in its Costa Mesa auction gallery. They are also the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic events, including the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, the Spring and Fall Hong Kong shows, and the Maastricht Paper Money Shows.
