Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 69

The May Pre-Long Beach Auction

Two Cent Pieces

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1062		1871/1871 VP-002. NGC graded MS-65 RB. Subdued mint color characterizes the surfaces on this lovely gem-condition piece. Struck with almost scientific precision on the shield and leaves, the wreath and legends. Has full horizontal lines in the top part (or "chief") of the shield; similar boldness in the shield stripes. Pop 1; the finest graded at NGC for the variety . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 1063		1873 Open 3 Mint Error Curves Clip At 6:30. NGC graded Proof 61 Brown. Only 500 struck. Natural brown color with faded red throughout. The 1873 Open 3 is probably a restrike, the dies having been made after the denomination was terminated in April 1873. Since only one obverse die was mentioned as being destroyed in the January 2, 1874 (pursuant to a letter of that date), it is possible that this Open 3 was not made until well into 1874. As a restrike, these pieces would not have been included in the listed Proof mintage of 600 pieces (all of which were Closed 3 pieces distributed with the sets before April 1, 1873). The old figure of 500 1873 Open 3 coins one sometimes comes across results from the known mintage of new-style 1873 Proof sets (with the arrows coins and the Trade Dollar). However it is definitely known that these sets did not contain a Two-cent Piece of any type, so the 500 mintage figure for the Open 3 is pure speculation. Based on frequency of appearance, some have suggested that it is likely the original mintage of this variety might have been closer to 75 pieces! Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,200. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,645
Lot 1064		1873. Closed 3. PCGS graded Proof 65 Red & Brown PQ. Housed in a First Generation Holder. Lovely toning; equally impressive color and surface integrity. Only 600 struck. Pop 84; 19 finer, 1 in 65+RB, 18 in 66RB (PCGS # 3652) . Last year of issue for the Two-cent denomination and struck in Proof only for inclusion in the sets. Approximately 600 were struck of the Closed 3 variety, with some possibly melted after April 1, 1873, when the new Mint Act went into effect abolishing this denomination. The Two-cent piece had gotten off to a quick start in 1864 with more than nineteen million coined, but mintage trended steadily lower as the coins failed to circulate due to low demand. it has been estimated that fully a third of all Two-cent Pieces ever struck (over fifteen million!) were melted in 1873. Harry X Boosel, well-known 1873 specialist shows (see p.10 of his "1873-1873" book) that 11 dies for the Two-cent Piece (10 reverse dies and a single obverse) were destroyed "by sledge and fire" on January 2, 1874. The single obverse die was presumably the Closed 3 die used to strike the present coin; 10 reverse dies evidently indicate that production had lagged behind expectations in the engraving department for many years and several unused reverses were left over. Estimated Value $3,500 - 3,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $3,795
Lot 1065		A Partial Collection of 2¢ and 3¢ Nickel Coins All In A Dansco Album. Missing: 2¢; 1873 and 3¢ Nickels; 1877, 1878, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, and 1887/6. Coins will grade Good to AU. Estimated Value $700 - 800. View details	Realized $1,783
Lot 1066		The Dan Holmes Collections of Two-Cent Pieces, Three-Cent Pieces and Shield Nickels. Consists of the following: Two-Cent Pieces - 1864 to 1872 lacking only a 1873. The 1864 Small Motto grades Good-4, the balance range from VG to EF. Nickel Three-Cent Pieces - 1865 to 1889 Complete, grades VG to Proof. Silver Three-Cent Pieces - 1851 to 1870 14 different dates ranging from Good to AU with the 1870 in EF-45. Shield Nickels - 1866 to 1883 lacking only 1877 and 1878. Grades range from AG to Proof. All housed in a deluxe Whitman album. We urge inspection prior to bidding. Estimated Value $4,000 - 5,000. The Dan Holmes Collection. View details	Realized $8,625