NGC Grades the Donald G. Partrick Collection, Part I

NGC has graded Part I of the phenomenal collection of Donald G. Partrick. A serious student of Early American coinage, Partrick carefully assembled a cabinet that boasts a number of iconic Colonial and Early United States issues, including many unique and finest known specimens.

Heritage Auctions will sell The Donald G. Partrick Collection of Extraordinary United States Colonials, Part I at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) convention auction, January 7-10, 2015. This is the first installment of four auctions of the Partrick Collection, with subsequent sales by Heritage Auctions planned for the 2015 and 2016 American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money conventions and the January 2016 FUN convention.

The nearly 400 pieces that comprise Part I represent remarkable depth, with multiple examples of many extraordinary types. Most significant is the group of a dozen distinct varieties of 1792 Pattern coins proposed for the first United States coinage. These patterns are capped by the finest known 1792 Judd-4 Pattern Birch Cent, pedigreed to the Garrett Collection. Graded NGC MS 65 RB, it is a noteworthy seven grade points above the second-finest specimen.

Finest Known 1792 Judd-4 Pattern Birch Cent NGC MS 65 RB Click images to enlarge.

The selections also include a 1792 Judd-12 Wright Pattern Quarter in copper that is unique in private hands. It is graded NGC MS 63 BN and pedigreed to the J. Hewitt Judd Collection. A 1792 Judd-9 Pattern Disme in silver, NGC AU 50, also traces its provenance to Judd.

Partrick’s 1792 Patterns are followed by 15 Continental Dollars struck in 1776 by the Continental Congress at the start of the American Revolution. A single Continental Dollar would typically be considered an auction highlight. Amazingly, the Partrick Collection contains eight Mint State examples.

“The rarity and quality of the American Colonials in Part I of The Donald G. Partrick Collection are unparalleled,” says Mark Salzberg, NGC chairman. “Partrick built the greatest Colonial coin collection in history and NGC is honored to have been chosen to certify selections from it.”

Massachusetts is exceptionally well represented in Partrick’s collection. Featured are six varieties of rare “NE” shillings, which were issued in 1652 as the first coins struck in the American Colonies. These are followed by a 1652 Willow Tree Sixpence, four 1652 Willow Tree Shillings, more than three dozen 1652 Oak Tree coins, and over 50 specimens of the famed Pine Tree type.

The Partrick Collection also includes a number of 1787 and 1788 Massachusetts half cents and cents. Most significant are three examples of the 1787 Transposed Arrows Massachusetts Cent, a legendary rarity in the series with only around 10 specimens known. Partrick’s incredible NGC MS 65 BN specimen is the finest representative of this very challenging variety.

The unique, enigmatic 1776 Janus Head Copper will be featured in Part I. Graded NGC VF 35 BN, it has been held by Partrick since he purchased it from the Garrett Collection in 1979.

1787 Arrows Right Claw 1C NGC MS 65 BN Click images to enlarge.

A native New Yorker, Partrick acquired a number of exceptional pieces issued by the Colony and, later, the State of New York. Part I has two extremely rare “New Yorke in America” tokens struck circa 1670, including the finest known specimen at NGC AU 50. There are also 16 superb Immune Columbia Coppers and eight experimental Confederatio Coppers from the mid-1780s.

Maryland coins include 13 specimens of Lord Baltimore coinage, struck circa 1659 at the Royal Mint in London. The Partrick Collection features two of the nine known copper Lord Baltimore denarium pieces, one of which is the finest known at NGC MS 62 BN.

Part I of the Partrick Collection also has a complete set of all six varieties of the Annapolis, Maryland-struck 1783 Chalmers coins, including a rare “Rings” type shilling graded NGC VF 25, as well as MS 64 and MS 62 examples of the elusive 1790 Standish Barry Threepence issued in Baltimore.

The unique “The Wheele Goes Round” Higley Copper, NGC VF 30 BN, anchors an impressive group of seven Higley pieces, struck in Connecticut between 1737 and 1739. Another important Higley is the “Value Me As You Please” / “I Am Good Copper” specimen graded NGC XF Details. Only three examples of this well-known variant are believed to have survived.

Several rare and significant Confederate pieces will also be offered in Part I of The Donald G. Partrick Collection. Most notably, the selections feature an NGC PF 30 Original 1861 Confederate Half Dollar pedigreed to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. There are also two Original 1861 Confederate Cents graded PF 63 and PF 62.

Visit the Heritage Auctions website, HA.com, for additional information about this and future Partrick Collection sales.