Numismaster

More than $14 million in coins will be put on the auction block by Ira and Larry Goldberg Sept. 23-26 at their pre-Long Beach auction.

Topping the list of desirable coins is a collection of Saint-Gaudens $20 gold pieces assembled by Dr. Robert Hesselgesser.

The collection is called one of the finest graded sets in existence by Larry Goldberg. Among the coins featured in the 1907-1932 set is a 1921 grading MS-65 by the Professional Coin Grading Service.

The catalog says it has “nice light even golden toning on both sides. Near perfect fields. A beautiful well struck coin. And a key date for this series, lest it be forgotten.” Also noted by the cataloger is that similar examples have sold for $1 million. Mintage was 528,500 pieces.

Coin collecting is a hobby that involves gathering or collecting coins for specific cause. The cause or reasons for collecting coins are called collection themes. There are many different themes ranging from country collections to type collections.

In the beginning, a coin collector might have started coin collecting because of having extra coins after a trip to a foreign country. He may also start coin collecting because of liking the design of a certain coin or finding an old coin which is not in circulation anymore and just wanting to keep it. As the collector’s interest increase, so will the desire for more variety of the coins he has started to collect.

Dallas, TX: An extremely rare medal minted circa 1801 will be sold in Heritage’s 61st Official September Long Beach Signature Auction. The special Tokens and Medals auction will be held September 28-29 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

“Heritage is especially excited about this important discovery,” noted Heritage President Greg Rohan. “The 1801 Emancipator of America medal, Baker-83, is rarity-ranked as a low R.8. For decades, numismatic researchers have known of only two examples of the medal, which was struck circa 1801. The first of those resides permanently in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the second was sold in 2004 in the John J. Ford, Jr. sale. This previously unreported third piece was purchased through a private transaction with a numismatic firm in London, and has been impounded in the same collection since 1957. Once the Ford example was sold, collectors had virtually no hopes of obtaining one.”

Russell Rulau and George Fuld described this issue in their Medallic Portraits of Washington (1999); their illustration, the holed and gilt example from the John J. Ford Collection, still realized $11,500 in 2004. The obverse features a right-facing bust of GEORGE WASHINGTON, while on the reverse the Angel of Fame, blowing her trumpet, flies above an olive and oak wreath containing EMANCIPATOR OF AMERICA. (more…)

Regardless of their date and design all square kookaburra coins are rare. Leaving ultra-rare nickel and silver strikes aside, the 1920 cupronickel halfpenny tops the rarity bill. If you spot one at the next bourse for under a hundred grand, happily pay the money, grab the coin, and run.

Noble Numismatics sold an example at auction in late July for $238,000, plus 15 percent commission. It was the finest of two 1920s known to be in private hands.

Other prices paid at Nobles in July were $55,300 for a 1919 Stokes pattern penny, and $62,000 and $58,000 for two different types of 1921 Melbourne-struck pennies, the last having been owned by Buddy Ebsen. A 15 percent commission needs to be added to both prices.