Auction to Feature Condition Census #4 1794 Silver Dollar

Bowers and Merena Auctions will host its Boston Rarities Auction on Saturday, Aug. 7 at The Castle at Park Plaza Hotel and Towers in Boston, Mass. The sale, comprised of nearly 1,800 lots, will feature world-class rarities and highly desirable collectors’ coins.

“Three consignments stand out in my mind as defining elements of the importance of this sale: the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation Mint State Set of 1794 United States Coinage, the Horseshoe Collection of New Orleans Mint gold and silver coins, and the Ostheimer Specimen of the 1870-S Seated Liberty Silver Dollar,” said Greg Roberts, CEO of Bowers and Merena. “With selections as diverse, important and desirable as these, we are confident that our Boston Rarities Sale will see spirited bidding from a wide variety of collectors.”

The Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation (CCEF) Mint Set of 1794 United States Coinage is a fully Mint State complete set of 1794-dated coins struck from the Half Cent through the Silver Dollar with most coins choice to gem in quality. The coins are among the finest known for their respective issues and die varieties, but the obvious highlight of the set is the Virgil Brand-F.C.C. Boyd-Cardinal specimen of the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. Certified MS-64 by NGC, the coin is Condition Census #4 for the issue and one of only six Mint State examples known to exist. The five coins in the 1794 Mint State Set will be auctioned individually at the beginning of the beginning of the Silver Dollar section.

“This important offering is made possible by the CCEF’s recent acquisition of the Carter-Contursi 1794 Silver Dollar, graded PCGS Specimen-66, which recently sold for $7,850,000 in a transaction that set a world record price for the most valuable coin,” said Roberts.

At the heart of the Horseshoe Collection is one of the most comprehensive sets of New Orleans Mint gold and silver coins that Bowers and Merena has offered in quite some time. The stand-out highlight of the collection is an 1854-O Liberty Double Eagle, a pop 2/0 coin certified AU-55 by PCGS. With an estimated 25-35 surviving coin population from a mintage of 3,250 pieces, it is the second-rarest New Orleans Mint Double Eagle. Other rarities featured in this collection include Morgan Dollar condition rarities, key-date 19th century gold coins from other Mints and a J.W. Scott Restrike of the fabled 1861 Confederate States of America Half Dollar. (more…)

Bowers and Merena announced  today that its president, Steve Deeds, is stepping down from his full-time position to pursue other coin-related interests, and will continue to have an ongoing role with the company.

California-based Bowers and Merena is one of the prominent US auctioneers for rare coins, currency and exonumia, with its affiliate Ponterio & Associates conducting auctions of ancient and foreign coins and paper money. Bowers and Merena also offers direct sales for rare coins and currency and publishes a number of important numismatic books.

Bowers and Merena is an affiliate of  The Spectrum Group International–a consolidated global collectibles network and the third largest in the world behind Christies and Sotheby’s.

Ten major brands comprise Spectrum Group International, including:
A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., Bowers and Merena Auctions, LLC, Corinphila Auktionen: Headquartered in Zurich, Greg Martin Auctions: The world’s premier auction house for arms, armor and militaria., H.R. Harmer, Inc.: one of the world’s leading auctioneers of rare and collectible stamps, John Bull Stamp Auctions, Ltd., Spectrum Wine Auctions, Spectrum Numismatics International, Inc.: a leading buyer and seller of rare coins, currency and fine wines, Teletrade: conducts Internet and telephone auctions for rare coins, currency and exonumia.

Greg Roberts, CEO of Bowers and Merena, stated:  “We wish Steve well in his new endeavors and we are pleased that he has agreed to continue to obtain consignments on behalf of Bowers and Merena.  His new role will allow us to continue to take advantage of Steve’s demonstrated skills in promoting the numerous benefits of consigning with Bowers and Merena.”

Mr. Roberts continued, “I will remain as CEO of Bowers and Merena, working closely with our talented group of executives and consignment directors, including Rick Ponterio, Scott Reiter, Brett Renaud, Debbie McDonald, Ron Gillio, Matt Quinn, Kent Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio.  With our distinguished team and Mr. Deeds’ support, we will continue our tradition of putting together outstanding rare coin and currency auctions.”

In other news The American Precious Metals Exchange (www.APMEX.com) announced  that Michael Haynes, former CEO and Board Member of Collectors Universe has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of APMEX.

APMEX is one of the largest precious metals retailers in the US, with annual sales over $600 Million.

APMEX Chairman of the Board and Founder Scott Thomas said ” Haynes brings both public company and private company experience in high growth companies. We look forward to sharing and benefiting from his vast experience.”

“It is a great privilege to join the team at APMEX, where Scott Thomas has directed the growth of the company, combining the excellent service with a simple, yet user-friendly Internet-based trading platform,” explained Haynes. “In today’s marketplace, gold and other precious metals are key elements in the diversification of assets that assist in stabilizing the individual portfolio and the hedging of portfolio asset values against what is rapidly becoming a more volatile currency dependent financial world. Our objective is to bring gold and precious metals ownership through the Internet to every person who seeks protection for their portfolio while providing easy and direct access to gold and other precious metals products with superior service and support.”

Expo featured Windermere Collection of Rare Date Liberty Double Eagles

[CoinLink News] – Bowers and Merena Auctions, one of the world’s preeminent auctioneers for rare coins and currency, realized more than $8 million as the Official Auctioneer of the June 2010 Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo. The eight-session sale, occurring June 17-19, included more than 6,000 lots of U.S. coins and currency, ancient and foreign coins, and foreign paper money. Prices realized for U.S. coins and currencies amounted to $6,438,778. Ponterio & Associates, a division of Bowers and Merena Auctions, added an additional $1,608,082 in prices realized with ancient and foreign coins and paper money.

“Our highly successful June 2010 Baltimore Auction saw spirited bidding for many different areas of U.S. numismatics,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena Auctions. “Specialists in classic gold coinage were particularly enthused about our offering of the Windermere Collection of rare date Liberty Double Eagles. The highlight of that collection is clearly lot 3847, the 1861-S A.C. Paquet Reverse in NGC AU-50 that traded hands for $69,000. “

An important and rare one-year type, the 1861-S Paquet features an experimental reverse that proved unsuitable for regular issue production and widespread circulation. The San Francisco Mint struck only 19,250 examples of this issue before returning to the traditional Liberty Double Eagle reverse design by Chief Engraver James Barton Longacre.

“For Ponterio & Associates, the most notable sale was lot 8278, an extremely rare Kublai Khan, the fifth Great Khan and grandson of Genghis Khan, 50 Tael Sycee Ingot. Issued in Year 14 (A.D. 1273) of China’s Yuan Dynasty, the piece realized $64,900,” said Rick Ponterio, executive vice president of Ponterio & Associates. “Iranian bank notes and Chinese coinage also proved to be particularly popular.”

Additional U.S., ancient and foreign coin and currency highlights in the Bowers and Merena and Ponterio & Associates June 2010 Baltimore Auction include:

* Lot 178, 1881 Hawaii Pattern Five Cents, Medcalf-Russsell 2CN-1, MS-64 (PCGS), Secure Holder, realized $28,750
* Lot 1658, 1937-D Buffalo Nickel, FS-901 (FS-020.2), 3-Legged, MS-65 (PCGS), CAC, realized $37,375
* Lot 2030, 1864 Seated Liberty Quarter, MS-67 (PCGS), realized $26,450
* Lot 3411, 1872 Pattern Commercial Dollar, Judd-1217, Proof-64 RB (PCGS), realized $25,875 (one of only three specimens known to exist) (more…)