The Kaufman Room

A fabulous and virtually complete collection of United States Seated Liberty proof coins from 1837 through 1891, the Kaufman Collection has been graded and encapsulated by NGC. This collection is noteworthy for the many rarities found within it, including numerous coins which are nearly unique or which represent the finest examples certified by NGC. Each piece is certified as part of the Kaufman Collection and will appear in the NGC Census Report.

Consisting of some 210 coins, all of the Seated Liberty design, this collection has been formed over several years and includes many pieces which are pedigreed to important collections. It is Mr. Kaufman's goal to eventually own a proof specimen for each and every date and denomination of the Seated Liberty type for which proofs are known.

Though there are some inevitable gaps in this sequence (the U. S. Mint did not make proofs for all of the dates before 1858), Mr. Kaufman is well on his way to completing his set. He intends to update existing coins whenever possible and, in his own words, "spent a fortune" at the May 1997 Bowers & Merena auction of coins formerly owned by the late Louis Eliasberg Sr.

Kaufman Complete Listing

A complete listing of the Kaufman Collection of pre-1858 Seated Liberty proof coins:

*Shows the number certified at that grade/the number graded higher/the total number graded; as of 7/97. Figures available in the NGC Census Report.

Pedigreed Coins in the Kaufman Collection

Eliasberg, Starr, Norweb, Lovejoy, Carter, Stack
In addition to the Eliasberg pedigree, other collections from which Mr. Kaufman obtained his rarities include those of Floyd T. Starr (sold by Stack's in 1992), the Norweb Family (sold by Bowers & Merena in 1987-88), the Garrett Family/Johns Hopkins University (sold by predecessor firm Bowers & Ruddy in 1979-81), Allen F. Lovejoy (auctioned by Stack's in 1990), Amon Carter, Jr. (a Stack's sale in 1984) and John J. Pittman (sold by David W. Akers in 1997-98). In addition, a number of the Kaufman proofs were formerly owned by the late Norman Stack of the Stack's firm, whose personal type collection was presented in a book he authored titled United States Type Coins: An Illustrated History of the Federal Coinage.

Ranging from half dimes through silver dollars, the Kaufman Collection includes a number of coins which are extreme rarities as proofs

Among the half dimes, these include 1838 (PF-64, Eliasberg), 1843 (PF-66) and 1847 (PF-65).

Dimes which are unique in NGC's census include 1839 (PF-65, Lovejoy) and 1847 (PF-66, Eliasberg).

Quarter dollars seem to be the rarest of the early proofs, and Kaufman's coins include an example of the very rare and famous 1842 Small Date quarter (PF-64), one of only six known, all of them proofs.

One of the greatest of all Seated Liberty rarities is the proof 1839 half dollar without drapery, of which just two are believed to exist. The Kaufman coin is the only one certified by NGC (PF-62). Another extremely rare half dollar within the NGC census is his 1840 specimen (PF-64, Starr).

Also from the Starr Collection and now a part of the Kaufman Collection is an 1841 silver dollar graded PF-63, a classic rarity.

The importance of the Kaufman Collection is such that its owner opted to have it documented by PHOTO PROOF following its grading and encapsulation.