NGC-Certified Registry Rarities Highlight Heritage’s December Houston Coin Auction

November 19, 2008

Dallas, TX. Some 7,000 lots being offered by Heritage Auction Galleries in its Houston Signature® Auction include many NGC-certified Registry-level or Registry-leading pieces. The Official Auction of the Houston Money Show of the Southwest takes place December 4-6, 2008.

Heritage President Greg Rohan comments, “Among the magnificent gold rarities to be sold in our Houston auction is lot 1968 is a 1795 $5 Small Eagle reverse, certified MS64 by NGC (Breen 1-C, Breen-6412, Bass-3034, BD-2, R.6). The 1795 half eagles were the first gold coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint, from dies prepared by Robert Scot, and this is the highest certified for this variety.” Click here to see. Rohan ads, “We are especially impressed with the gold rarities that this strong market is drawing out. What a great time to be a collector!”

NGC-Certified highlights from Heritage’s Houston Coin Signature Auction include:

Lot 484: 1969-S 1C Doubled Die MS63 Brown NGC. Breen-2252, FS-101.
The 1969-S Doubled Die was discovered in 1970, only a few months after the coins were struck. Current population data shows that NGC and PCGS have certified a total of 36 submissions, with only seven finer.

Lot 675: 1797 50C VF30 NGC. O-101a, High R.4.
This 1797 O-101a specimen displays the faint diagnostic die crack from the rim through star 2 to Liberty's curl, and is sure to elicit considerable interest among advanced collectors seeking to complete a type set of U.S. coinage.

Lot 798: 1795 $1 Flowing Hair, Two Leaves MS61 NGC. B-1, BB-21, R.2.
The blundered obverse has the 7 in the date recut over an errant 1. This is a remarkable Mint State example with a sharp and well centered impression, lustrous with pleasing surfaces.

Lot 802: 1795 $1 Draped Bust, Off Center MS62 NGC. B-14, BB-51, R.2.
This lovely Uncentered Bust example is one of two die varieties known for the 1795 Draped Bust silver dollars. Both sides have excellent central and peripheral design details, with brilliant surfaces.

Lot 1166: 1916-D 10C MS65 Full Bands NGC.
The entire mintage of 264,000 1916-D dimes was produced in November, after which a meeting of mint superintendents and the director, it was decided that the striking of all other denominations at Denver should be suspended until four million quarters were produced.

Lot 1973: 1802/1 $5 MS64 NGC. Breen-6440, BD-8, R.4.
All 1802 half eagles are overdates, from two different obverse dies that are distinguished by the position of the 2 in relation to the drapery. The strike is quite nicely centered with complete borders on each side. Only one certified finer.

Lot 1994: 1839-C $5 MS63 NGC.
A gorgeous example of this popular Charlotte half eagle, it is also enigmatic. Condition Census, efforts to plate-match the present coin with better-known examples has failed.

Lot 2058: 1862 $5 PR64 Ultra Cameo NGC.
The beauty and rarity of the issue cause the 1862 proof half eagle to stand out, even when surrounded by other remarkable coins. A magnificent coin and a great opportunity for the advanced collector, only two coins have been certified finer.

Lot 2400: 1857-O $20 MS60 Prooflike NGC. Ex: S.S. Republic.
In a story now well known, the S.S. Republic sank late in 1865, taking down with it a cargo of American gold and silver. This is a fascinating example of this historic O-mint issue, with amazing reflectivity and a fantastic shipwreck history.

Lot 2478: 1879-O $20 AU58 NGC.
The importance of the 1879-O twenty includes its minuscule mintage of 2,325 pieces and its status as the only New Orleans Type Three twenty. Fully struck throughout, including the reverse lettering which is often softly impressed.

Lot 2661: 1851 $50 RE Humbert Fifty Dollar, 880 Thous. AU55 NGC. K-5, Low R.5.
Augustus Humbert set up his assay office to refine the freshly mined California gold and create a functional medium of exchange. He arrived in California on the steamer Tennessee that sailed 20 days out of Panama.

For more information about Heritage Auction Galleries, visit coins.ha.com, or contact the Heritage Consignor Hotlines at 800-872-6467, ext. 1000 (Coins) or ext. 1001 (Currency).

This is a guest article from Heritage Auction Galleries. The thoughts and opinions in the piece are those of its author and are not necessarily the thoughts of the Certified Collectibles Group.