Heritage’s pre-ANA Auction in Philadelphia in 2000 featured the wonderful Mercury Dime Collection of then New Jersey State Senator C. Louis Bassano. No coin in that set graded less than MS65 FB, and all the regular issues after 1934 were MS67 FB. Total prices realized were an incredible, chart-busting 274% of Bluesheet bid — and that didn’t even include his five wonder-gems that were off the Bluesheet charts! After the auction, Senator Bassano wrote to us: “Let me just say it: UNBELIEVABLE! The prices that Heritage realized… were simply unbelievable…. That Heritage sold my coins for double the most optimistic price that I had dreamed was equally unbelievable — at least until I received the check!”

Heritage is honored to now offer The Louis Bassano Collection of U.S. Commemoratives as a part of our 2009 August Los Angeles, CA US Coin Auction, taking place July 30-August 1. Every one of the nearly 150 beautiful coins in this collection grades MS66 or higher.

Senator Bassano was one of the most important and beloved figures in New Jersey politics. A three-decade veteran of the Legislature, he was first elected to public office in 1971, serving four terms as a Representative, and then more than two decades in the Senate. He garnered dozens of civic awards and honors for his service, and wrote many laws protecting public health and safety, focusing on issues affecting children, senior citizens, and the disabled.

His interest in old coins started during the 1950s, as his father’s business generated a tremendous amount of coinage. At the age of 8, he joined his Dad in searching for 1932-dated quarters. As he grew older, he continued to search through circulating coinage, working on sets of Walking Liberty halves, Mercury dimes, and silver dollars, key-date quarters, and other classic 20th century rarities. His appreciation for his coins stems from his enjoyment of history, “evidenced by travels to Rome, Greece, and Israel,” which he described as the “triangle of ancient civilization.” Coins are also an important part of American history, and he believed that “no series captures American history like the classic silver commemoratives.”

The Senator has a somewhat unusual philosophy that he has applied to his collecting efforts. He greatly enjoys the opportunity to assemble and actively collect, even while working hard to complete the set. Once completed, he has little interest in holding, believing that the coins should be placed back into the marketplace (fly fisherman will recognize the underlying ‘catch and release’ philosophy). According to the Senator, “I am just a guardian of the coins while the set is being collected — or perhaps a renter!”

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5. Kiawah Collection of Gold Coins Highlights Summer FUN Offerings
6. An Introduction to Commemoratives Coins
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