Heritage Offers NGC-certified Example of Earliest US Gold Proof Coin Available to Collectors

Excitement is building over one of the nation’s earliest Proof coins: an 1821 Quarter Eagle. This extremely scarce example is one out of over 700 rare coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®) showcased in a sale presented by Heritage Auctions. Online bidding for the FUN US Coins Signature Auction is open and will conclude on January 12-16, 2022 in conjunction with the Orlando FUN Show.

The 1821 Quarter Eagle, which is graded NGC PF 65 Cameo (lot 4664), is one of only three Proof examples known. According to Heritage, any coins struck before 1821 that could reasonably qualify as a gold Proof are part of museum collections and thus out of reach to collectors. More than a week before the sale, bidding had reached $460,000 and was expected to go much higher.

1821 Quarter Eagle graded NGC PF 65 Cameo Click images to enlarge.

Another rarity in the sale is an 1876-CC 20 Cent Piece graded NGC MS 64 (lot 3648). The short-lived series was unpopular in its time, and nearly all of the 10,000 1876-dated examples with the Carson City mintmark were melted down. This coin is one of fewer than 20 thought to survive, which are highly prized by numismatists today.

1876-CC 20 Cent Piece graded NGC MS 64 and pedigreed to Rian's Bequest Click images to enlarge.

Also included in the sale is an example of an 1850 Dubosq & Co. $10, which is graded NGC MS 60 (lot 4489). Officially classified as territorial gold, these coins were created by a Philadelphia jeweler Theodore Dubosq, who, in 1849, relocated to San Francisco amid the Gold Rush to start a private mint. Only about 10 examples are known and this is one of the highest graded, creating an exciting opportunity for collectors.

1850 Dubosq & Co. $10 graded NGC MS 60 Click images to enlarge.

Gaining attention from advanced collectors is an extremely rare 1880 Coiled Hair $4 Stella graded NGC PF 61. Fewer than a dozen 1880 Coiled Hair Stellas are known to exist. Their design is credited to George Morgan and features an impressive star on the reverse. Their name derives from the Latin word for star, and they tend to grab the spotlight in any auction that features them.

1880 Coiled Hair $4 Stella graded NGC PF 61 Click images to enlarge.

Meanwhile, another Proof coin, a rare 1862 Double Eagle graded NGC PF 65 Cameo (lot 3807), is also in the spotlight. Only 35 examples were struck, with a dozen or fewer believed to survive. Currently the highest example graded by NGC, this coin once belonged to Louis Eliasberg, who assembled the most complete collection of US coins to date.

1862 Double Eagle graded NGC PF 65 Cameo Click images to enlarge.

Other NGC-certified highlights in the sale include:

• an 1841 No Drapery Seated Liberty Dime graded NGC PF 67+ and pedigreed to the Eric P. Newman Collection and “Col.” E.H.R. Green (lot 4591)
• a 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar graded NGC MS 62 (lot 4621)
• a 1795 Small Eagle Half Eagle graded NGC AU 58 (lot 4693)
• an 1854-D Gold $3 graded NGC MS 61 (lot 4688)
• an 1879 Flowing Hair $4 Stella graded NGC 64+ Cameo (lot 4691)
• an 1880 Coiled Hair $4 graded NGC PF 61 (lot 4692)
• an 1861-D half eagle graded NGC AU 58 (lot 4709)
• a 1915-S Panama-Pacific Octagonal $50 graded NGC MS 64 (lot 4779)
• an 1849 Oregon $5 graded NGC XF 45 (lot 4506)
• an 1860 Clark-Gruber $20 graded NGC AU 55 (lot 4531)
• an 1877 J-1549 Gilt $50 graded NGC PF 63+ (lot 4788)