Costa Mesa, CA – Over $60 million in numismatic items were sold in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries 2022 Summer Global Showcase Auction including over $43 million in United States coins. The incredible result set a new record as the highest-grossing auction in the firm’s 89-year history and represents a 20% increase over the total of last year’s Summer 2021 event. (All prices include the buyer’s fee.)
The sale was highlighted by the finest known Proof 1825/4/1 Capped Head Left half eagle which sold for a record price of $4.08 million, nearly doubling the pre-sale high estimate. It set a new record as the most valuable pre-1834 Proof United States gold coin ever sold at auction. It also ranks as the second most valuable $5 gold coin of any format, behind only the $8.4 million 1822 $5 which was also sold by Stack’s Bowers Galleries. This Superb Proof half eagle was offered as part of the Mocatta Collection, which achieved over $7 million in overall prices realized. Other highlights from that cabinet include a Mint State 1829 Small Size $5 that realized $408,000 and a Gem Proof 1887 $20 that sold for $420,000.
A truly astounding selection was offered from the legendary Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, anchored by an incredible 1792 Copper Disme that sold for $900,000. Graded SP-62 BN (PCGS) CAC as the second finest known, it can be traced back to before 1908 and was once in the collection of Dr. J. Hewitt Judd. Also offered from the Cardinal Collection was the famous Charles Jay 1793 Sheldon-14 Liberty Cap cent that brought $192,000 as the finest known example.
Part I of the Sydney F. Martin Collection was presented in a meticulously researched, stand-alone catalog featuring over 260 coins and medals. This selection achieved over $3.1 million in overall prices realized including five lots that brought six-figure prices. The session was headlined by a rare 1737 Higley copper that sold for $192,000 and a stunning 1783 Libertas Americana medal in silver that brought $174,000. A historic 1786 New Jersey General Washington Copper, Maris 4-C realized $162,000. Part II of the Sydney F. Martin Collection will be featured in the firm’s Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Winter 2022 Expo on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28.
Also presented in the Global Showcase Auction was a historic selection of 35th Anniversary American Eagle Gold and Silver coins presented on behalf of the United States Mint. Offered across 700 lots, these Anniversary coins realized over $4.6 million in total prices after more than 11 hours of live bidding during which several new records were set. Stack’s Bowers Galleries was also honored to host the Director of the United States Mint Ventris C. Gibson at Griffin Studios during the sale, enhancing the historic nature of the event. The top price of the session was realized by the very first struck 2021 American Eagle gold coin of the new Eagle Portrait (Type 2) reverse design. Graded MS-70 by NGC, it realized $100,000 and set a new record for the most valuable 1 ounce American Eagle gold coin ever sold at auction, more than tripling the prior record of $29,700. Among the silver coins, the very last struck of the classic Heraldic Eagle (Type 1) reverse design realized $85,000 and set a new record for the most valuable Uncirculated (bullion) strike to sell at auction, nearly two-and-a-half times the prior record of $34,500.
The incredible JBR Set of Gold Coins from the Fairmont Collection achieved over $6.9 million in total prices. Comprising nearly complete runs of the $5, $10, and $20 denominations beginning in 1834, the JBR Set featured an astounding combination of Condition Census and Everyman quality across the rarest dates and varieties of U.S. gold. Highlights included a beautiful 1861-O double eagle that sold for $96,000 and a key-date 1864-S half eagle that brought $93,000.
The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Summer Global Showcase Auction also featured one of the most significant collections of Classic Head gold coinage ever formed in the Virginian Collection. It was assembled by Daryl J. Haynor and included some of the finest Classic Head quarter eagles and half eagles known. Carefully curated to include just 58 exceptional coins, it went on to realize over $2.2 million in total prices including half eagles dated 1838 and 1838-C that each sold for $264,000.
The Georgia Gold Rush Collection, offered by the John O. Sykes Family, represented a pinnacle of numismatic achievement for the Dahlonega Mint gold series and contained a complete date and major variety set of the coinage of this branch mint. Over $3.9 million was realized by the 150 coins therein, including seven lots that brought six-figure prices. This offering was highlighted by the finest known 1854-D three-dollar gold piece that realized $528,000 and set a new record for the single most valuable Dahlonega Mint coin ever sold at auction.
An exciting selection of Bitcoins and other Physical Cryptocurrency was presented at the end of the Rarities Night Session. This category has been earning incredibly strong premiums among traditional coin collectors and crypto enthusiasts alike. This selection was highlighted by an extremely rare 2011 Casascius 1 BTC DOUBLE ERROR variety graded MS-66 (PCGS) that realized $72,000 and an impressive 2012 Casascius 5 BTC “Bitnickel” graded MS-65 (PCGS) that sold for $132,000
Additional individual rarities included a historic ca. 1777 Philip Syng, Jr. Regulated Bolivian 8 Reales graded VF-25 (NGC) that realized $240,000, a flawless MS-68 RD (PCGS) 1902 Indian cent that sold for $120,000, a possible specimen striking 1839-C Liberty Head half eagle graded MS-64 (PCGS) that brought $336,00, and a world-class 1878 Pattern quarter eagle, Judd-1566 graded Proof-67 Cameo (PCGS) that was bid to $432,000.
Complete prices realized for the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction are now available at www.StacksBowers.com. On the heels of such a successful offering, the firm is now finalizing their Official Auction of the Whitman Winter 2022 Expo, which will be posted on their website for pre-bidding in the coming weeks. Featuring U.S. coins, U.S. currency, and Numismatic Americana, this event will be highlighted by Part II of the Sydney F. Martin Collection that will offer 1785 and 1786 Connecticut coppers, Washingtonia, Rosa Americana coinage, and select French Colonials. To consign your coins to a future auction, contact Stack’s Bowers Galleries today at Info@StacksBowers.com or 800-566-2580.
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 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 Wa She Wong Collection, and The Thos. H. Law Collection.
The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with offices in New York, Philadelphia, Wolfeboro, Hong Kong, and Paris. 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 Valkenburg Paper Money Shows.
