Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 80

June Pre Long Beach Sale

$20 Liberty/With Motto

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1964		1866-S. With Motto. PCGS graded EF-45. CAC Approved. Lightly toned. Moderately well defined, with normal surface abrasions from time spent in circulation. The year 1866 was a year of transition in silver and gold coins. Patriotic fervor arising out of the trauma of Civil War gave birth to demands for a religious motto to be included on United States coinage. In 1861, 1862, and 1863, two variations of this motto were used on Pattern coins. The first, GOD OUR TRUST, was rejected; the more poetic IN GOD WE TRUST sounded better and was included on the new Two-cent Pieces of 1864 and Shield Nickels of 1866. The Act of March 3, 1865 included a clause mandating this motto. However, it took Philadelphia Mint some months to add it to the production dies. (Philadelphia makes dies for all branch mints). For this reason, a few No Motto Twenty Dollar Gold pieces were made at San Francisco before the new With Motto reverse dies arrived. The present piece is second Type, With Motto (PCGS # 8950) . Estimated Value $2,300 - 2,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,996
Lot 1965		1873. Closed 3. PCGS graded EF-45. Housed in an Old Green Holder. Lovely golden toning. The Closed 3 date style is used on the early dies made prior to Chief Coiner A.L. Snowden's complaint on January 18th regarding the similarities of the look of the date to 1878. The Coinage Act of 1873 changed the United States policy with respect to silver. Before the Act, the United States had backed its currency with both gold and silver, and it minted both types of coins. The Act moved the United States to the gold standard, which meant it would no longer buy silver or mint silver coins from the public on demand, but instead only from approved (that is, politically connected) Western mine owners. No modifications were made to the gold coins, however (PCGS # 8966) . Estimated Value $1,800 - 1,900. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,056
Lot 1966		1873. Open 3. PCGS graded MS-62+. CAC Approved. A nice frosty lustrous and untoned coin. The luster on this date is particularly attractive. Year of the infamous Credit Mobilier scandal. During the 19th century, the federal government in Washington, D.C. as it is today, was generally happy to do favors for Wall Street financiers. Railroad tycoons, who often used their company stock certificates as vehicles of extravagant speculation, enjoyed subsidies, tax exemptions, loans, and a whole smorgasbord of financial fringe benefits supplied by pliable congressmen and senators (not to mention armadas of state and local officials). The Crédit Mobilier was a joint-stock company organized in 1863 and reorganized in 1867 to build the Union Pacific Railroad. It was involved in such a scandal in 1872 in which high government officials were accused of accepting bribes, that the firm finally blew up in the credit collapse and ensuing Panic of 1873. (The Enron or Bear Stearns of its day.) (PCGS # 8967) . Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,583
Lot 1967		1873. Open 3, Double Die Obverse. FS-101. NGC graded MS-61. CAC Approved. Lightly toned and frosty. Most dates in this Type 2 period show up oftenest in Very Fine with S mintmarks. Philadelphia issues 1866-72 are mostly scarce, except for the 1867 Uncs. from a hoard (possibly 2,000, found in Europe about 1966, distributed in the USA beginning about 1973). The other most often seen P-mint dates are 1873-76. For political reasons, official orders limited the Carson City strikes 1870-73. Authorities and bankers preferred to ship bullion to San Francisco, alleging lower cost. Pop 3; 3 finer in 62. Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,100. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,525
Lot 1968		1873. Open 3. NGC graded MS-61. Frosty and lustrous. Attractive pinking gold mint bloom (PCGS # 8967) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,174
Lot 1969		1874-CC PCGS graded Genuine Unc Details. Mostly untoned with semi-reflective fields. A choice looking coin. Only 1,000 struck. In 1874, it was time for the Carson City Mint to increase gold coin production. Double eagle output reached the 100,000 coin mark for the first time since the facility opened in 1870, with much of the bullion coming from deposits made the previous year. In comparison, San Francisco�s much larger double eagle mintage increased by 173,400, representing a sixteen and one-half percent rise. With Carson City�s growing $20 gold piece production, larger quantities were shipped out of state though significant reserves were required locally to meet depositors� redemptions. Many 1874-CC double eagles extant today have returned from lands outside of the United States where hundreds of thousands of all denominations of gold coins were exported between 1871 and 1936 (PCGS # 8971) . Estimated Value $2,300 - 2,400. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,700
Lot 1970		1874-CC. NTC graded AU-50. Our grade is VF-35. Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 1971		1874-S. NGC graded AU-58. Frosty with a hint of tone (PCGS # 8972) . Estimated Value $1,550 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,644
Lot 1972		1877 and 1904. Coins will grade VG and XF correspondingly. Lot of 2 coins. Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,100. View details	Realized $2,820
Lot 1973		1888. PCGS graded MS-61. Frosty with some bag marks (PCGS # 9008) . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,704
Lot 1974		1888-S. PCGS graded MS-61. Frosty and untoned (PCGS # 9009) . Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,410
Lot 1975		1889-S. PCGS graded MS-62. Nice light golden toning on this well struck San Francisco Mint twenty from the 1880s decade (PCGS # 9012) . Estimated Value $2,100 - 2,200. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,233
Lot 1976		1890-S. NGC graded MS-61. Mostly untoned, a frosty, carefully struck San Francisco Mint dates from the first year in the 1890s. Normal contact marks (PCGS # 9015) . Estimated Value $1,700 - 1,750. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1977		1893. NGC graded MS-62. Frosty and toned (PCGS # 9022) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,550. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,821
Lot 1978		1894-S. NGC graded MS-62. Frosty with shimmering luster. Scattered bagmarks, as usual with this large, heavy denomination (PCGS # 9026) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,550. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,880
Lot 1979		1894-S. PCGS graded MS-62+. Frosty and untoned, with sharp detail on stars, Liberty and eagle (PCGS # 9026) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,550. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,645
Lot 1980		1895. PCGS graded MS-62. Frosty with light golden toning (PCGS # 9027) . Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,586
Lot 1981		1896-S. NGC graded MS-62. Lovely golden toning (PCGS # 9030) . Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,469
Lot 1982		1899-S. PCGS graded MS-63. Lovely golden toning. Brilliant and refreshingly clean for this issue, with flickering luster in the fields and sundrenched golden devices. The fields are naturally patinated and satin with much eye-appeal. We note a couple of light luster-grazes on the cheek (PCGS # 9036) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,115
Lot 1983		1899-S. PCGS graded MS-62+. Fully bright and golden. An appealing specimen (PCGS # 9036) . Estimated Value $1,650 - 1,700. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,821
Lot 1984		1900. NGC graded MS-63. Very frosty and choice for the grade, Popular turn-of-the-century issue. 1900, an historic year, monetarily: The Gold Standard Act of the United States was passed in 1900 (approved on March 14) and established gold as the only standard for redeeming paper money, stopping bimetallism (which had allowed silver in exchange for gold). It was signed by President William McKinley. The Act fixed the value of the dollar at 25-8/10 grains of gold at "nine-tenths fine" (90% purity), equivalent to 23.22 grains (1.5046 grams) of pure gold. The Gold Standard Act confirmed the United States' commitment to the gold standard by assigning gold a specific dollar value (just over $20.67 per Troy ounce). This took place after McKinley sent a team to Europe to try to make a silver agreement with France and Great Britain. On April 25, 1933, the United States and Canada dropped the gold standard (PCGS # 9037) . Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,528
Lot 1985		1900. PCGS graded MS-62. A hint of gold tone on this carefully made, lustrous example (PCGS # 9037) . Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,469
Lot 1986		1903. PCGS graded Proof 64. Lovely rich golden toning. Only 158 minted. True to form, this lovely Proof 1903 Double Eagle exhibits stunning golden orange colors displayed on both sides. Hardly any hairlines. All 1903 Proofs are the same, stylistically. This particular date has the obverse field deeply basined, from the die-making process, adding more curvature than normal, and giving an especially interesting satiny accent to the devices. Likely an early strike since the mint often had to remove Proof dies from the press to given them renewed polish, some 1903 Proof issues will show a little break at the bridge of Liberty's nose from the method used to polish the die. This one has a full nose bridge, which indicates it must have come early in the production run. Every collector who contemplates buying a classic Proof Liberty $20 gold piece will want to check this 1903 $20 for its beauty as well as for the instructional experience. The present specimen combines classic 19th century coin design, conservative, formal, balanced, with attractiveness, rarity, and everything else desirable. Certainly it will be an exciting moment when the sale occurs. Pop 10; 2 finer in 65 (PCGS # 9119) . The Year 1903: years before the illustrious Ford Model T automobile became the car d'jour, there was Ransom E. Olds. His 1901 to 1904 "Curved Dash" was the first mass-produced automobile, and was also the first American car to be exported. Oldsmobile set a land speed record of 54.38 mph at Daytona Beach in the 1903 Pirate. The 1903 Model R curved dash was the number one selling car in the United States, selling for $650 (or 32-1/2 double eagles -- do the math today to see how much that is). Ransom Olds left Oldsmobile in 1904. Oldsmobile advertising pointed out that keeping a horse cost its owner and estimated $108 a year, whereas the owner of an Oldsmobile spent an average of $35 per year in fuel and maintenance (slightly less than two double eagles). Estimated Value $40,000 - 44,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1987		1904. NGC graded MS-62. Nice even light golden toning (PCGS # 9045) . Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,469
Lot 1988		1905-S. NGC graded MS-64+. CAC Approved. PQ. A flashy untoned coin. The surfaces are sleek and glowing with a healthy bright gold color. There is no toning. Having seen numerous late-date Double Eagles over our many decades in the auction business, we realize that the 1905-S issue is much rarer in this grade than the more common S-mint "hoard dates" and the regular high production years after the mid-1890s. Dominant mint bloom adds immeasurably to this coin�s beauty, its desirability, and we take stock of the coin's sharp detail as well. Clockwork precision seen in all the devices. Pop 35; 9 finer in 65. (PCGS # 9048) . Estimated Value $9,000 - 10,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $9,400
Lot 1989		1905-S. PCGS graded MS-62. Nice golden toning. Following high mintage in 1904 at the San Francisco Mint, coinage totaled 1.813 million for the 1905-S (PCGS # 9048) . Estimated Value $1,900 - 2,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,174
Lot 1990		1907. NGC graded MS-63. Nice light golden toning. Final year for this venerable design, whose master craftsman James B. Longacre designed it in 1849. The small initials JBL can be found on the neck truncation as an acknowledgement (PCGS # 9052) . Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,350. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,586