Rare NGC-certified US Gold Coins Sell for Six Figures

An 1879 Flowing Hair Stella and a 1915-S Panama-Pacific Round $50 Commemorative, both certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®), each realized over $100,000 when they were offered by GreatCollections in late May and early June 2022. With both coins coming from a mintage only in the hundreds, these great rarities are a challenge to acquire.

Popular among advanced collectors, it is no surprise that the 1879 Flowing Hair $4 Stella graded NGC PF 65+ Cameo realized $258,750. Intended to compete with foreign coinage used internationally, the Stellas never advanced beyond the experimental stage. Only a few hundred Stellas, dated either 1879 or 1880, were struck.

1879 Flowing Hair $4 Stella graded NGC PF 65+ Cameo. Realized: $258,750 Click images to enlarge.

GreatCollections also offered a 1915-S Panama Pacific Round $50 graded NGC MS 64, which sold for $102,376. Coins like this were sold during the Panama-Pacific Expo in 1915. Nearly 500 of the $50 round variety were distributed and are rarer than the octagonal version, whose higher sales at the time were credited to its unusual shape.

1915-S Panama Pacific Round $50 graded NGC MS 64. Realized: $102,376 Click images to enlarge.

These commemoratives celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal and were struck amid a great renaissance in American coinage just over a century ago.

All prices realized include the buyer’s premium.