Dallas, TX. Market demand remained strong for significant American numismatic rarities in the June 2008 Summer FUN Signature® Auction presented by Heritage Auction Galleries in West Palm Beach, June 26-27. Total prices realized for the American coins exceeded $12 million, and the total will rise further when the concluding session and post auction buys are finalized.

“The strong market is continuing to bring great rarities — and great prices realized — onto the Heritage auction block,” commented Heritage President Greg Rohan. “We note that Lot 1960, an 1880 $4 Flowing Hair (Judd-1657, Pollock-1857) and certified PR64 by PCGS, realized: $431,250. This auction contained a wide range of rarities at many price levels, to which more than 5000 bidders responded enthusiastically.”

Highlights from Heritage’s Summer FUN Signature Auction:

Lot 1960: 1880 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1657, Pollock-1857, R.6, PR64 PCGS.
The 1880 Flowing Hair “stella” is one of the most famous rarities in American numismatics. Technically a pattern issue, and never authorized for regular coinage, the stella has survived and prospered as a collectible issue, and is regularly listed in A Guide Book of United States Coins alongside regular U.S. gold coin types. From the Fern E. Wagner Trust. Price realized: $431,250

Lot 2106: 1803 BD-6 Large Stars Reverse Eagle, MS62 NGC. Breen-6845, B. 1-F, Taraszka-32, R.7.
Of 33 known die varieties in the 1795 to 1804 eagle series, Harry Bass was able to obtain 32 during his many years of collecting; the only die marriage that he never owned was the 1803 BD-6 (Breen 1-F) that is offered in this lot. Price realized: $172,500

Lot 1975: 1832 Half Eagle, 13 Stars, BD-1, High R.5, MS63
The 1832 half eagle is known in only two die pairings, BD-1 and BD-2, easily distinguished by the presence of either 13 or 12 obverse stars, respectively; the 13 Stars BD-1 has a straight-base 2, and only three examples of this variety have been certified finer. From The Charleston Collection.
Price realized: $132,250 [Read the CoinLink Article on this Coin Here ]

(Dallas, Texas) – An unprecedented “lot” will be offered in conjunction with the official auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® convention in Baltimore: lunch with Heritage Auction Galleries Co-Chairman, best-selling author and acclaimed numismatic authority, Jim Halperin.

All proceeds from the winning bid, including the buyer’s premium, will be donated to the ANA’s education programs for improving numismatic resources on the ANA web site, including the successful Coins in the Classroom project that is used by teachers nationwide.

The winning bidder will have a one-on-one lunch with Halperin at a mutually convenient time and place.

“The rarity of this offering cannot really be overstated. I don’t recall ever in our 21 years working together of having lunch one-on-one with Jim,” quipped Heritage President Greg Rohan.

The lunch date lot will be offered during Heritage’s Platinum Night sale, Wednesday evening, July 30, 2008, in the Baltimore Convention Center. Bids will be accepted in person and online at www.HA.com.

The first bid already has been received. Numismatic author and former ANA Vice President, Scott A. Travers of New York City, has opened the bidding at $1,500. Travers suggested the fund-raising auction after exchanging e-mails with Halperin about a recent charity auction involving a lunch date with renowned investor Warren Buffett, a subject of personal interest to Halperin. (more…)

In the upcoming West Palm Beach, FL (Summer FUN) Signature Coin Auction, taking place in West Palm Beach, FL on June 26-29, Heritage will be offering Registry collections from a consignor who specialized in the finest Jefferson nickels. Eight different Jefferson Nickel Registry sets rated #1 All-Time and #1 Current Finest are included under the Compradore name:

1. Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1938-1964)
2. Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1965-present)
3. Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1938-present)
4. With Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1938-1964)
5. With Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1938-present)
6. War Set with Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1942-1945)
7. Full Steps with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1938-1964)
8. Full Steps with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1938-present)

Compradore also includes additional Registry sets:

1. #2 All-Time and #2 Current Finest: Jefferson Nickels Full Steps Basic Set, Circulation Strikes (1938-1964)
2. #2 All-Time and #2 Current Finest: Jefferson Nickels Date Set, Circulation Strikes (1938-present)
3. #1 All-Time and #1 Current Finest: The Five Cent Type Set (1866-present).

The consignor is a retired stockbroker, with an MBA from the University of Southern California. During the 1990s, he decided to move some assets into coins and succeeded in assembling the #5 PCGS Registry Set of Morgan Dollars (Krispy’s Morgans). After that, he decided to complete the #1 set in Jefferson Nickels.

In the consignor’s words: “I’ve always liked Jefferson nickels. While I was a cashier at the university cafeteria in 1969, I managed to build a complete set (date and mint mark) of Jeffersons from the change in the cash tray. The only coin I couldn’t find was the 1950-D which is really hard to find in circulation. Undaunted, I purchased a nice one from a coin shop for the princely sum of $10 and then turned around and sold the entire set back to the coin shop for $50. My first experience collecting Jeffersons was (to my recollection) immensely rewarding!” (more…)

Dallas, TX. A lengthy list of significant American numismatic rarities is included in the catalog for the June 2008 Summer FUN Signature® Auction. The Official Auction will be held in West Palm Beach, June 26-27, with the concluding Internet sessions on June 28-29. The auction is now posted by Heritage Auction Galleries on their HA.com website, and is available for inspection and bidding.

“The strong market is continuing to bring great rarities onto the Heritage auction block,” commented Heritage President Greg Rohan, “Summer FUN contains rarities from the inventory of Anaconda Rare Coins, the Charleston Collection; the Compradore Registry Collections; the George Gee Collection of Buffalo Nickels; Part One of the Glenwood Collection; Part Two of the Estate of Robert R. Rollins Collection; Part Two of the Estate of Francis A. Sullivan, Jr., and the Fern E. Wagner Trust. Hundreds of consignors are participating in this popular FUN event!”

“Heritage is pleased to present another exciting Summer FUN auction,” concluded Rohan. “Repeating our pleasure from the May 2008 Long Beach auction, we are honored that another professional colleague has entrusted his coin holdings to us. Heritage thanks our friends Adrian Crane and Brandon Kelley for consigning the inventory of Anaconda Rare Coins, without reserve. We wish Adrian well in his future plans in Costa Rica, and know that our bidders will take delight in so many wonderful coins.”

Highlights from Heritage’s Summer FUN Signature Auction:

Lot 8: 1776 Continental Dollar, CURENCY, Newman 1-C, Pewter, AU55 PCGS. Newman 1-C, Breen-1089, R.3.

Lot 134: 1871 1C MS66 Red PCGS. Ex: Joshua and Ally Walsh Collection.

Lot 210: 1864-L on Ribbon Indian Cent, PR64 Brown PCGS, Snow-PR1
From the Fern E. Wagner Trust. (more…)

Fifteen tattered $20 bills recovered from the 1971 D.B. Cooper skyjacking sold Friday for more than 120 times their face value at a Dallas auction.

Heritage Auction Galleries said the bills sold for a total of more than $37,000 - two to three times higher than expected.

Winning bidders paid about $6,500 each for two of the $20 bills. The money has the handwritten initials of investigators who examined the bills, which were found buried in sand in 1980.

Another recovered note, a tiny fragment showing only a portion of the printed San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank seal in the design, sold for $358.

Cooper skyjacked a flight from Portland, Ore., to Seattle, claiming he had a bomb. He released the passengers at a Seattle airport for $200,000, four parachutes and a flight to Mexico.

On that flight, he jumped out with a parachute near the Oregon-Washington line. He was never found.

“There’s obviously still tremendous interest in the legendary case,” Heritage President Greg Rohan said in a statement. The gallery declined to identify the winning bidders. (more…)