Auction Spotlights Remarkable 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony Willow Tree Shilling

Bowers and Merena Auctions will bring nearly 1,500 lots of fine coins to Philadelphia, Pa.., for the Official Pre-show Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Philadelphia Expo set for September 21-22, 2009. The auction will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and begins with lot viewing Monday, September 21, and Tuesday, September 22, followed by the two-session auction on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. EDT.

“Bowers and Merena has had the privilege for many years to present the Official Baltimore Auction with Whitman, so we are very pleased for this opportunity to work with them in Philadelphia as the Official Pre-show Auctioneer,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. “Whitman produces excellent coin shows. And Philadelphia is rich in history and tradition, really two of the cornerstones of numismatics.”

The auction will present an important selection of rare Colonial and Early Federal Era coinage. Of special note is lot 10, a remarkable 1652 Massachusetts Bay Colony Willow Tree Shilling, the Clark-Wurtzbach-Wiseman Specimen of this extremely rare type and the finest certified by PCGS at AU-58. Limited press runs combined with a high rate of attrition explain the extreme rarity of Willow Tree Shillings in numismatic circles. “This particular example is superior to most and represents an important find for the specialist,” said Deeds. “For the type, it is hard to imagine a more visually appealing, technically sound, and desirable representative of this rare and historic issue from the earliest era of coinage operations in Colonial America, and Philadelphia is a very fitting venue to present it at auction.”

Another Colonial Era highlight is lot 44, a historic 1776 Continental Dollar, a beautiful, high-grade pewter striking of the EG FECIT variety in PCGS MS-64 with the CAC designation. PCGS Population is 10 and only four are finer in
MS-65.The Continental Currency pieces (or Dollars) are among the most historically significant and important coins ever struck within the borders of what is now the United States of America. W-8460 as represented in this lot is easily attributable by the addition of the inscription EG FECIT on the band below the central-obverse device.
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Bowers and Merena Auctions today announced that it has named Matthew Quinn as director of currency auctions. Quinn will work alongside notable currency specialist, Kevin Foley, consignment director and senior numismatist for rare currency for Bowers and Merena. The announcement comes on the heels of Bowers and Merena’s highly successful Official Auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Los Angeles in early August, which presented more than 500 U.S. and world banknotes, including a Rare 1870 Fr. 1162 $100 California Gold Bank Note that realized an extraordinary $207,000.

Quinn comes to Bowers and Merena from sister company Spectrum Currency where he worked at dealing banknotes, cataloging, auction processing, and enhancing dealer relationships. “Matt is an ambitious young talent in the industry who takes his passion for collectible paper money with serious detail,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. “He has been working closely with Bowers and Merena on several auctions in recent months and he will surely be a valuable asset to our company and our consignors.”

Originally from New Hampshire, Quinn credits his initial passion for numismatics to his grandfather. “He introduced me to coins at a young age and provided me with my first Whitman books,” Quinn said. He added that he first learned the intricacies of U.S. banknotes from veteran currency dealer Donald Severance, and was inspired to pursue a career in numismatics and banknotes by seasoned currency expert Peter Treglia, both of whom he worked closely with during his time at Spectrum Currency.

Quinn became fascinated with the auction process while at Spectrum Currency as he assisted Bowers and Merena, enjoying cataloging U.S. banknotes and later adding world banknotes to his repertoire with the recent acquisition of Ponterio and Associates. “I’ve always strived to be the best I can be, and with numismatics you can never stop learning. I am really looking forward to this new direction and challenge,” Quinn said.

Condition Census 1796 Small Eagle Quarter Shines in Bowers and Merena Auction

Bowers and Merena Auctions conducted its second of two official American Numismatic Association auctions for 2009 over five live sessions last week at the Los Angeles Convention Center as the Official Auctioneer of the ANA World’s Fair of Money. Teletrade Certified Coin & Currency Auctions, sister company to Bowers and Merena, served as the official online auctioneer for the show, conducting auctions on Sunday and Monday, August 9-10. Together they realized a total in excess of $15 million.

“It has been a tremendous opportunity to work with the ANA over this past year, first in Portland and especially now in our own backyard of Los Angeles. The ANA consistently presents a first rate show and it was a privilege to play such an important role in this event as the only official auctioneer,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. “We are very pleased with the results of the auction. This was our second largest auction in the past five years by both value and number of lots, and under the present economy I think that speaks volumes.”

The standout highlight of the auction was lot 1018, a Condition Census 1796 Small Eagle Quarter, B-2, Rarity-3, graded MS-64 by PCGS and realizing an impressive $103,500. An issue that enjoys strong and unflagging demand among type collectors, the 1796 is the first Quarter struck in the United States Mint and the only one of the Draped Bust, Small Eagle design. Two die marriages are known, of which the High 6 B-2 combination is the more plentiful in numismatic circles. “Plentiful” is a relative term in this context, for the 1796 as an issue is a scarce coin when viewed in the wider context of U.S. numismatics. Mint State coins are rare, and they can actually be described as very rare from a market availability standpoint. Indeed, most high-grade examples are in tightly held collections and trade only once in a long while, with this prime example logged in with a PCGS Population (both die combinations) of only 7 with 8 finer through MS-67, yielding an exceptional realization.
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