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Sale 51
Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction
| Lot |
Photo |
Description |
Realized |
Lot 1743 |
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1927 $20 St. Gaudens. NGC graded MS-64. Lightly toned. In the new NGC 4 prong holder. There is much to say about the beautiful surfaces of this coin since they are vibrant, a quality always appreciated. The mint frost is glowing (PCGS # 9186) .
Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,150.
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| Realized
$1,553 |
Lot 1744 |
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1927 $20 St. Gaudens. NGC graded MS-62. Intensely lustrous, a few light bagmarks (PCGS # 9186) .
Estimated Value $950 - 1,000.
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| Realized
$1,380 |
Lot 1745 |
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1928 $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-63. Delicate golden toning. In a first generation PCGS holder.
Estimated Value $950 - 1,000.
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| Realized
$1,438 |
Lot 1746 |
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1929 $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-65. A marvelous example, well struck and fully lustrous exhibiting full mint bloom colors. Collectors are fascinated by the way the typical 1929, with its generally sharp strike and fully lustrous and frosty surfaces, almost always displays considerable eye-appeal. The example in this lot almost tries to break out of the MS65 class and sneak into the next higher grade. All design elements are sharply delineated as the photographs clearly tell, with no weakness on the central motifs. The frosty luster has vibrancy like the luster seen on a much commoner 1927 or 1928 issue, the surface bright. The surfaces are also very well preserved, with only a few minor marks on Liberty's body mentioned for accuracy. (This issue often contains copper stains, but not a problem here.) All in all, a very appealing Gem. A similar specimen from our Ohringer Part II Sale, Sept. 2008 lot 1320 realized $77,625. Pop 22; 5 finer in 66 (PCGS # 9190) .
The 1929 opens the final segment of the Saint-Gaudens double eagle series, and every issue from this year through 1933 is a major rarity. While the '29 is the least rare of this group, it is still a coveted key date whose appearance at auction is an occasion of note among specialists. As we indicated in the introduction to the '29 issue, fewer than 300 coins have been have been certified by PCGS and NGC combined. MS65 pieces are rare, with only 23 pieces graded by both serves, and a mere 3 coins finer (9/05). And according to our records, the major auction houses have seen the appearance of only 20 Gems in the past 15 years or so, with just one piece grading higher.
Estimated Value $70,000 - 75,000.
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| Unsold |
Lot 1747 |
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1930-S $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-65. A stunning gem example bursting with rich mint bloom colors throughout. The lovely natural rose & golden toning on both sides improves the already expansive beauty of this Gem quality example. An extremelyrare late-date Saint-Gaudens double eagle. The production run was a mere 74,000, serving to give an explanation of the low supply of coins to be had by collectors. Always difficult to obtain. There do not appear to be many abrasions that would bar this frosty double eagle from its lock-solid MS65 designation by the grading service. It is really quite spectacular! Since it is a full-bore Gem we see no need to persuade one and all to prepare a strict market price. There will be no slipping through the cracks with this one when it comes up for bidding. Besides the coin's smooth features, both sides show a precision strike that conforms well with what we know about other 1930-S $20 gold pieces, that this date was more carefully produced than other S-mint twenties in the Saint-Gaudens series. Identical to other issues in the late 1920s and early 1930s, this year was a heavily melted one. In the vein of the 1929, 1931, 1931-D, and 1932 from the standpoint of total number of coins known, the number saved was severely reduced after the great gold confiscation by the Federal government in 1933 (approximately $2.8 billion in gold valued at the then $20.67 per ounce fixed price).
As an MS65, the 1930-S is an extremely rare coin with very few pieces having been so graded by the major services. Of the highest order of rarity, this piece will be certain to spawn much interest at lot viewing and the price it finally realizes at the sale could be a revelation to many. Pop 8; 5 finer in 66 (PCGS # 9191) .
Estimated Value $160,000 - 170,000.
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| Unsold |
Lot 1748 |
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1931 $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-66. Lovely rich golden toning. Well struck. A popular rare date. Since virtually the entire collector holdings for 1931 falls into the Mint State range, observation tells us that this date never reached general circulation. Most of the 2,938,250 pieces originally minted were melted by the government and today the 1931 is comparable in overall rarity to the equally respected 1932.
Among Saint-Gaudens pieces, the 1931 is considered as one of the top seven rarities in the series. Note that the population statistics by the grading services can sometimes be misleading since the same coin may have been submitted to both services at different times, or to the same service multiple times thus affecting the published figures. Be that as it may, only a few better-quality specimens have been auctioned in recent years, with this handsome MS66 among the most eye-catching and beautiful, the very sort of coin to handle the situation when numerous bidders show up at an auction hankering to bid. Pop 9; 1 finer in 67 (PCGS # 9192) .
Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000.
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| Unsold |
Lot 1749 |
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1931-D $20 St. Gaudens. PCGS graded MS-65. A well struck frosty gem specimen ablaze with delicate golden mint bloom colors. One of the finest graded of the date, and a rarity in all grades. Breen estimated two decades ago in his Encyclopedia that only 30-35 survived, but this number appears low to us now, since the combined NGC and PCGS Population Reports show more than 120 pieces graded in all grades. All the same, the coin presented is clearly one of the better specimens known, this radiant gem boasts luxurious golden frost around the periphery, enhanced by pleasing light rose shades in towards the centers. Minor handling marks but nothing to keep this from the rock-solid gem class it is in, as a strong glass will reveal. An opportunity for the advanced numismatist.
The rarity of the 1931-D should be readily evident after Akers referred to a group of fifteen to twenty examples that surfaced in the mid 1980s. While the coins in that "hoard" were sufficient to knock the 1931-D out of the same rarity class as the vaunted 1930-S, most of these graded no better than Choice MS63. Often the various grading services overshoot in their estimates or undershoot, but on this particular occasion they must have had their 20-20 spectacles focused, which resulted in their shooting squarely at the bull's eye and hitting it dead on target. A strong, quibble-free MS65, in other words. This leaves gemmier specimens like the one offered here as better condition rarities. The present naturally toned 1931-D $20 gold piece is among the most attractive of the late date issues we have offered in recent sales, primarily due to its spectacular aesthetic appeal! Pop 16; 3 finer in 66 (PCGS # 9193) .
Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000.
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| Unsold |
Lot 1750 |
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1932 $20 St. Gaudens. NGC graded MS-65. A gorgeous gem specimen loaded with glittering mint luster. Captivating golden toning further adds to its eye appeal. A classic rarity within the series. This superlative Gem astounds with its sharp beauty, and character that causes it to project extraordinary visceral impact into the eyes of any collector viewing it. From the golden yellow frost with its pale pinkish undertone, to the near-absence of tiny abrasions in the luster, all the evidence points to a first-rate example, the consummate MS65 if we may be so straightforward as to avow the obvious. In short, a specimen whose illustrious quality is firmly set by the numerical grade.
This is the last affordable date in the series. When the time came for President Roosevelt to issue his executive order seizing the gold in the banks in early 1933, the inventory of 1932-dated double eagles and other gold coins that were still being held as backing for currency and checking deposits were locked up, never again to see the light of day. Well, we've fudged there slightly; perhaps a few would see the light of day, since coin collectors probably are unaware of the fact, but tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of double eagles were exported AFTER the gold seizure order in 1933. The few surviving pieces dated 1932 probably trace to European bank hoards which began to be distributed in dribs and drabs in the 1960s to 1980s, brought home by American gold importers. A highly respected date in the series, perhaps fewer than a hundred to a hundred and fifty pieces remain from the 1932 double eagle mintage. Pop 14; 14 finer, 11 in 66, 3 in 66* (PCGS # 9194) .
Estimated Value $90,000 - 100,000.
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| Realized
$80,500 |
Lot 1751 |
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Gold Coin Chain Necklace. The gold chain contains the following gold coins all mounted: $2.50 Indians (11 pcs), $10.00 Liberty (1), Mexico 5 Pesos (2 pcs). Total weight 92.8 gr. Lot of 14 coins.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,700.
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| Realized
$2,128 |
Lot 1752 |
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A lot of U.S. Gold Coins. Consists of: 1855 $1.00 gold VF bent with marks; 1862 $1.00 gold EF-40; 1879 $2.50 EF cleaned; 1857-S $3.00 gold plugged and polished; 1908 $5.00 Indian EF cleaned. Lot of 5 coins.
Estimated Value $500 - 550.
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| Realized
$920 |
Lot 1753 |
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A trio of U.S. gold coins. Consists of: 1853 $1.00, 1925-D and 1928 $2.50. Coins grade Extremely Fine. Lot of 3 coins.
Estimated Value $425 - 450.
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| Realized
$529 |
Lot 1754 |
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U.S. 12 piece Gold Type Set. Consisting of both the Liberty, Saint Gaudens and Indian gold coins. We note the type 2 dollar and the $2.50 Indian are of questionable origin (these two sold as is). All other coins grade Extra Fine to Mint State. All housed in a custom Capital platic holder.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 5,500.
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| Realized
$6,613 |
Lot 1755 |
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U.S. 8 piece Gold Type Set. Consists of the following: $20 1906-D, $20 1910-S, $10 1905, $10 1910, $5 1903-S, 1908-D, $2.50 1904, 1910. Coins grade VF to EF. All housed in a custom white Lucite holder.
Estimated Value $3,300 - 3,500.
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| Realized
$4,025 |
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