Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 57

Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction

Commemorative Gold Coins

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 2710		1922 Grant Gold Dollar, with star. PCGS graded MS-66. A splendid greenish-golden gem. Only 5,016 struck of which only a small handful remain like this one (PCGS # 7459) . Estimated Value $2,200 - 2,300. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 2711		1922 Grant Gold Dollar, with star. NGC graded MS-64. A well struck brilliant golden example with swirls of luster in the fields and on all devices. Only 5,016 struck (PCGS # 7459) . Estimated Value $1,600 - 1,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,955
Lot 2712		1905 Lewis and Clark Gold Dollar. PCGS graded MS-64. Well struck with rich golden sunset toning on both sides. Only 10,041 minted of which this is certainly among the prettiest. Due to the promotional mischief by Farran Zerbe relating to the 1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollars and the consequent market bust, collectors took a dim view of the subsequent Lewis and Clark gold dollars, as here, issued in Portland, Oregon, with dates of 1904 and 1905. Those that were sold mainly went to the public and were not well cared for. Today the 1904 and 1905 Lewis and Clark dollars are several times scarcer in Mint State grades than are the other pairs of commemorative gold dollars -- the 1903 Louisiana Purchase, the 1916 and 1917 McKinley, and the 1922 Grant varieties (PCGS # 7448) . Estimated Value $3,200 - 3,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,968
Lot 2713		1905 Lewis and Clark Gold Dollar. PCGS graded MS-63. Light golden toning. Lustrous. A few light hairlines on the cheeks and in fields. Only 10,041 struck. Engraved by Charles E. Barber and struck for the exposition. The Lewis and Clark Dollar honored the Corps of Discovery which explored the Northwest in 1803 to 1806 at the behest of President Jefferson (PCGS # 7448) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,783
Lot 2714		1903 Louisiana Purchase-Jefferson Gold Dollar. PCGS graded MS-65. A bright golden gem with a touch of tone noted on the reverse. Only 17,500 struck. A portrait of the third President was selected for the obverse, but when the then President William McKinley was shot down in 1901, it was decided to modify the enabling bill to include his portrait on a second issue, hence the two versions of the Louisiana-Purchase gold dollar that collectors aspire to own (PCGS # 7443) . Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,725
Lot 2715		1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $50 Round. NGC graded MS-65. Lovely golden toning. Clean as a whistle, as one might expect given the Gem MS65 grade; however, what really sets this coin apart from others is its intense satin-smooth luster, luster that shimmers over each side untouched by blemishes or toning spots. Here, as with the associated MS65 Octagonal $50 from the same consignor, we are impressed by the coin's superb, convincing design detail in all areas of this important coin. Not even the slightest amount of flatness occurs on the key features! A series of five coins was released for the occasion, including complete sets mounted in metal frames or leather cases sold for $200. Many sales were made to banks and other novices; for this reason, high grade examples, especially of the two $50 gold denominations, are a challenge to find. The larger the denomination, the harder to locate. Some were also carried as souvenir pieces, sadly. When all was said and done, only 483 Round $50 gold pieces were sold. It can be assumed (though no separate accounts were kept in this regard) that numerous specimens in the hands of the public were melted after the federal government nationalized America's gold coins in 1933. We estimate there are 200 or so of the round $50 pieces left in existence. Today the five different commemoratives of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition stand as the high-water mark among American coins. The $50 round is unique in U.S. federal coinage, both as to denomination at the time ($50) and dimensions (two and one-half ounces of 900 Fine gold). The artistry was by Robert Aitken, noted sculptor and coin designer whose handiwork presents Minerva, goddess of the harvest, wearing a Corinthian plumed helmet. Aitken used a more local device for his reverse, a "wise" owl perched upon a pine branch. Curiously, the wisdom of owls is much overrated. According to the specialists who trained and worked the various owls in the Harry Potter movies, owls are little more than flying sharks -- sophisticated eating machines with only enough brains to get along with. But that is neither here nor there, since Minerva's owl on this lovely specimen is golden and beautiful creating one of the all-time favorite U.S. commemorative gold pieces. A resplendent way to preserve the occasion is with this well struck MS65 Gem Round $50 gold coin. Pop 44; 24 finer, 2 in 65 Star, 18 in 66, 4 in 67. Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2716		1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $50 Round. NGC graded MS-65. Only 483 pieces struck. Bright satin finish, mimicking the light, swift flutter of a magical golden butterfly, the field glows serenely as when first issued. Difficult to imagine even in choice condition, this one has every hallmark of its desirable Gem 65 status, and then some. Something perhaps worth pausing to study as well is the fact that all devices were struck with the usual and desirable consistency of this year, that is, sharply by the dies, which then left behind bold elements of detail throughout. Full stylized leafy design on the helmet; wavy hair curls on Minerva (a.k.a. Athena); plus full pine cones, face and chest definition on the owl. Five coins commemorating the Panama-Pacific International Exposition were produced, as well as an extensive range of private medals (refer to the Hibler-Kappen book of So-Called Dollars for these). The $50 gold pieces were by Robert Aitken, a sculptor from New York. "Cornelius Vermeule, in his Numismatic Art in America, Aesthetics of the United States Coinage, offers beautifully crafted commentary of Aitken's design" [as explained in a Pan-Pacific $50 gold description by the auction firm Heritage]: "Robert Aitken tried to create modern, pseudo-Athenian coins, in an idiom of archaeological classicism popular among many American sculptors trained partly at the American Academy in Rome before and after the First World War. His ideas were laudable. There were a minimum of inscriptions, a classic Greco-Egyptian profile of Athena in full panoply, the date in roman numerals, and a naturalistic owl in a mass of Western pine cones. … In an overall view, the arresting feature of the giant gold coins is their archaistic treatment of details in relief. Athena's crest, wreath, curls, and aegis imitate the work of an ancient bronze… these coins were a tour de force, dated to be sure, but unusual enough in all respects to be worthy of what American numismatic art could achieve when creativity and mint technique worked in unison." Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $100,625
Lot 2717		1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $50 Octagonal. NGC graded MS-65. Only 645 pieces struck. Nice light golden toning and boldly struck. Outstanding Gem quality for the Type. The Mint Act of January 16, 1915 authorized a fifty dollar gold piece along with a gold $1, a gold quarter eagle, and a silver half dollar to commemorate the Panama-Pacific International Exposition scheduled to open in San Francisco that year. Proceeds from sale of these commemorative coins would help defray the cost of exposition. Several events were being commemorated, including the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. Both $50 gold pieces were the handiwork of Robert Aitken. Since many of them were purchased by wealthy individuals (they were not necessarily coin collectors), it stands to reason a fair number of them would have been slightly handled (or even mishandled) by their owners or heirs. With this in mind, is it any wonder why so few Gem Mint State 65s of the innovative octagonal motif survive today? A significant number were cleaned. This lovely Gem is perfectly fitted to match the Round $50 gold in this sale with the same grade. The coin displays bountiful and serenely beautiful soft golden color, several degrees finer than most of the competition. The surface radiates a pure satiny luster that, dare we say, should be awarded first prize in a contest for originality! No observable blemishes are found, omitting not even the smallest detail when scrutinized with a loupe -- making this an impressive Gem specimen for the well-heeled numismatist. In summation, one of the most significant issues in the U.S. Commemorative series. Pop 41; 10 finer, 6 in 66, 4 in 67. Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 2718		1915-S Panama-Pacific Gold $50 Octagonal. NGC graded MS-65. Frosty and light golden toning. The surfaces on this handsome coin are judged by us to be bright gold in color, and quite lustrous, with the MS65 grade acting on behalf of its outstanding quality. Don't expect the usual halfhearted impression left by the striking of the dies that made this piece, for all Pan-Pacific $50 Octagonals we are glad to report were made with care and attention. They were struck on a special medal press shipped to San Francisco just for the striking ceremony. This is a very bold coin with sharp centers and all legends complete. A prestigious offering! The obverse of both fifty dollar coins depicts the Roman goddess Minerva (same as the Greek goddess Athena), while the reverse displays an owl, said to be sacred to Minerva and a symbol of wisdom. Some suggest that the motifs alluded to the need for America to be watchful and prepared on the eve of this country's involvement in World War I, already raging in Europe. The basic round and octagonal designs were the same, everything from the outer text ring inward, though reduced in size for the octagonal piece. On both obverse and reverse Aitken placed an unbroken circle of dolphins into the spaces provided by the angled corners of the octagonal design. Dolphins were considered friends and guardians of sailors, and were symbolic of the new connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans provided by the Panama Canal (PCGS # 7452) . Estimated Value $100,000 - 110,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $100,625