NGC Certifies Important Newman Rarities

SARASOTA, Fla. (February 22, 2013) — Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) has been chosen by the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES) to grade and encapsulate selected rarities from the immense collection of numismatic legend Eric P. Newman. These coins will be sold by Heritage Auctions at the April convention of the Central States Numismatic Society in Schaumburg, Illinois. The proceeds from this sale will advance the research and educational mission of EPNNES, a nonprofit corporation in St. Louis, Missouri, as well as other nonprofit organizations selected by Mr. Newman.

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Hailed as the preeminent American numismatist of the past century, Eric P. Newman will turn 102 in May. A collector of all American numismatic material for the past 90 years, he has published numerous books and monographs on subjects ranging from Early American coins and notes to coin scales and counterfeit detectors. There is seemingly no area of American numismatics that has not been touched by his genius and generosity.

The selection features a number of important high-grade rarities, but the most memorable is Newman’s stunning 1852 Humbert $10 Territorial Gold Piece. Graded NGC MS 68, this outstanding specimen is the finest certified by a full six grades! Its survival at such a high level of preservation is truly remarkable and makes this piece one of the great unsung treasures of American numismatics.

The majority of this consignment comprises important pattern coins of all denominations spanning the years 1836-1915. Some of these pieces are in astonishingly high grades, including Judd-671, an extremely rare pattern 1869 Cent struck in aluminum. It is certified by NGC as PF 68 Ultra Cameo. Its companion 1869 Three Cent Piece struck in aluminum, Judd-679, is another condition rarity graded PF 67 Ultra Cameo by NGC.

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There are many other memorable pattern coins in the Newman Collection, but perhaps the rarest and most unusual are the silver and copper impressions of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition Half Dollar, struck at the Philadelphia Mint without the usual “S” mintmark. These are varieties Judd-1961 and Judd-1962, and both are rated Rarity-8, indicating 2 to 3 known. These ultra-rarities are NGC certified as PF 65 and PF 66 RB, respectively, and are among the greatest highlights to be sold on behalf of the EPNNES by Heritage Auctions.

The numismatic community has long dreamed of the day when the fabulous collection of Eric P. Newman would at last be available to buyers, and these selected pieces from that collection were entrusted to NGC at the personal request of Mr. Newman. Facilitating this connection were the efforts of prominent coin dealer Stuart Levine of Marblehead, Massachusetts, who worked closely with the EPNNES Foundation.

“Eric P. Newman is one of the great numismatists of the last century and his collection ranks among the most important ever assembled,” comments NGC Chairman Mark Salzberg. “NGC is honored to have been selected to certify this group of rarities, and it was an absolute pleasure to study these fantastic specimens.”

NGC has pedigreed each coin to Eric P. Newman, and the encapsulation features a custom label with the EPNNES logo. Images and descriptions for the entire consignment will soon be available on the Heritage Auctions website, www.HA.com.

EPNNES Foundation Statement
Items being sold are from the extensive collection of Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (a Missouri not-for-profit corporation) and have been assembled over a period of 90 years. The proceeds of the sale of all items will be used exclusively for the benefit of other not-for-profit institutions selected by Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society for public purposes and also for supplementing the Society's own museum operations and scholarly research efforts.