Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 63

The Pre-Long Beach Auction of US, World Coins and Currency

Seated Liberty Half Dollars

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 822		1847-O. NGC graded MS-64. Well struck with pleasing original toning. The 1847-O does not stand out as anything unusual among early New Orleans Mint half dollars; its mintage of nearly 2.6 million pieces is typical for this decade in American history. These factors obscure its true scarcity in Choice and better grades, however. This attractively toned example is well detailed save for a bit of softness on a few of the upper stars and on the eagle's left (facing) talons. Dappled shades of pearl and gray with russet-golden interact over each side in varying degrees. Pop 2; 5 finer. Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $6,900
Lot 823		1854-O. Arrows. NGC graded Specimen 63. A needle sharp strike with full mirrored fields, all, overlaid with lovely natural golden and mottled blue toning. Popular first year of the arrows type. Pop 1; the only example graded "Specimen." According to the Heritage Auctions cataloger of this Specimen 63 example in the 2008 A.N.A. sale catalog, "To our knowledge this is the only Proof striking of the 1854-O half dollar. We were able to trace the pedigree of this unique piece through Breen's brief mention of it on page 235 of his 1977 Proof Encyclopedia: 'Date slants up to r., 54 touch. Reed Hawn:183, $1,300, unverified.' Examination of the photo of Reed's coin in the Stack's catalog and this piece positively identify this as the coin from his historic offering of half dollars. The description in the Stack's catalog in 1973 was succinct and unambiguous: 'A magnificent Brilliant Proof, with full glittering surface even in the stripes of the shield on the reverse. There is no doubt that this is a specimen striking, not only because of its mirror surface, but also because of the perfection of strike. A lovely coin with pale russet and golden toning.' "The surfaces of this piece have uniform reflectivity over each side, and the striking details show pinpoint definition. We do not know the reason for such a coin to have been struck, and Breen does not speculate. Perhaps it was simply because of the institution of the Arrows design, or perhaps it was struck on order for a collector [or staff member?] with Mint connections in the mid-1850s." The true story behind this marvelous coin is now lost to history as far as we can tell, but the physical attributes of the coin stand as evidence that something special was done to create a Specimen striking in New Orleans in 1854. This is the only coin even rumored to exist as a specimen or Proof striking of the 1854-O half dollar. It may well rank in the same class as the unique Specimen 63 1856-O Double Eagle whose fame as gone into the hall of records for all time. Estimated Value $50,000 - 55,000. Ex 2008 ANA; ex Reed Hawn. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $54,050
Lot 824		1860-O. PCGS graded MS-63. A nice full strike with delicate partial golden toning. A very choice example for the grade (PCGS # 6300) . Estimated Value $700 - 750. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,208
Lot 825		1861-O. PCGS graded MS-63. Well struck and nicely toned with an old fingerprint in the right obverse field; nevertheless, should be regraded a full point higher (PCGS # 6303) . Estimated Value $800 - 850. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,473
Lot 826		1862. PCGS graded Proof 65 Cameo. Mostly untoned with a hint of delicate gold here and there. Only 550 Proofs struck. One of the scarcer early Proofs in this series struck in the No Motto period from 1858-1865. Earlier Proofs (1839-1857) were also struck but weren't offered for sale to the general public and are considerably more expensive. Pop 4; none finer (PCGS # 86416) . Estimated Value $4,500 - 5,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 827		1862. PCGS graded Proof 62 PQ. Housed in an Old Green Holder. Nicely toned. Only 550 Proofs struck. Scarce No Motto Type (PCGS # 6416) . Estimated Value $600 - 650. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,725
Lot 828		1870. PCGS graded Proof 64. A totally white sparkler! Only 1,000 proofs struck. This is another attractive 1870 Proof coin that was part of an incomplete 1870 Proof set consigned to the sale by a gentleman on the West Coast. Be sure to check the others in the group, including Two-cent piece, half dime, dime, and seated dollar, offered elsewhere in this sale. Pop 54; 11 in 65, 4 in 66 (PCGS # 6428) . For trivia buffs, here are some San Francisco restaurant prices for the year 1870: Green turtle soup - 15 cents; Bouillon - 15 cents; Fried smelts - 25 cents; Fried cod - 25 cents; Porterhouse steak - 50 cents; Kidneys with wine sauce - 25 cents; Mallard ducks - 40 cents; Calf's liver - 25 cents; Boiled ham - 40 cents; Venison steak - 25 cents; Cold roast beef - 25 cents; Tea - 15 cents. Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,725
Lot 829		1873. Arrows. *NGC graded Proof 66+ Cameo. A magnificent gem with superb eye appeal as noted by NGC. Lovely blue obverse deepening to iridescence at the borders while the reverse exhibits shades of delicate gold. A fabulous looking coin! When the adjusted weight coins were introduced beginning in 1873, the tolerance was wide enough that the previous blanks could still be used. The half dollars coined from 1853 through 1873 had a standard weight of 12.44 grams while the new half dollars beginning in 1873 had a higher weight standard set at 12.50 grams. The tolerance was plus or minus 0.2 grams, which meant that any planchet that weighed between 12.30 and 12.70 grams was legal. Walter Breen, the noted numismatic scholar, was of the opinion that the mint did not make any actual adjustments to the previous standard in use. The most likely scenario is that they began producing blank planchets at the new weight standard, but went ahead and coined all of the previous blanks that had been prepared and were awaiting coinage. This is a frosted cameo Gem with fully glittering mirror surfaces and extraordinarily forceful aesthetic appeal. Few survivors from the mintage of Proof coins this year come within hailing distance of this, and no finer examples have ever been certified by NGC. Pop 2; none finer**. Estimated Value $25,000 - 30,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $28,750
Lot 830		1890. NGC graded Proof 65 PQ. Housed in an Old Holder. Only 590 Proofs struck. Lovely blue and lilac toning on both sides. As with most others of this year in Proof, the mirror luster radiates on both sides. Additionally, this date is almost always found fully struck. The centers pack full detail into the design from a decidedly precision strike. While all stars, hair detail, and eagle's head and body detail are similar bold. Proofs were almost always struck twice using the Mint's more burly medal press instead of a regular coining press, to impart their design features in bold relief. And it shows here! Pop 31; 26 finer . Estimated Value $2,500 - 2,600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $4,025