By Greg Reynolds for CoinLink

Walter Husak’s collection of early large cents will be auctioned by Heritage at 5:00 PM on Friday, Feb. 15, at the Long Beach (CA) Coin, Stamp and Collectible Expo. During Long Beach Expos in 2007, and at the Jan. 2008 FUN Convention in Orlando, his coins were on display, and Husak himself was present to answer questions and provide commentary.

During the era from 1793 to 1814, pennies were about the size of the quarters of the time, slightly larger than the quarters of today. In terms of die varieties of these large cents, Husak’s collection is one of the most complete of all time, and he has several gem quality pieces. Husak’s cents have been authenticated, graded and encapsulated by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

Among many rarities, Husak has the finest known 1794 cent with the ‘Starred Reverse,’ an Almost Uncirculated coin that is PCGS graded AU-50. An uncirculated ‘Starred Reverse’ cent has never been seen by a noted collector, and probably does not exist.

Along the periphery of the back of the coin, there are ninety-four cute, little stars. It is probably true that such a ’starred’ border does not exist on any other variety of a U.S. coin, of any date from any era. ‘Starred Reverse’ 1794 cents are very rare in all grades.

While large cent specialists will be enthused by Husak’s rare die varieties, collectors of all U.S. coins will be stunned when they learn about the quality of many of the early large cents in Husak’s collection. (more…)

Heritage is delighted to present perhaps the greatest sale of large cents ever held – the Walter J. Husak Collection of Early US Cents – as a part of our upcoming 2008 February Long Beach, CA Signature Coin Auction. While far from the largest collection ever sold, nor the most comprehensive collection extending to 1857, the Husak Collection includes nearly every Sheldon die variety in the 1793-1814 series, including many Mint State pieces and numerous Condition Census examples. The only varieties missing are 1793 S-15, 1795 S-79, and 1795 S-80. The collection contains all other Sheldon numbers with subvarieties, and die states of the 1804.

When Walter Husak started this collection, he had two goals in mind. His first goal was the acquisition of coins that are attractive and pleasant representatives, preferably in the Condition Census. His second collecting goal was the acquisition of coins with exceptional pedigrees. Either one of these two goals presents a major hurdle across a wide range of dates in the large cent field, and a few of the pieces in his collection fall short of his requirements… but very few indeed! Most examples meet at least one of Mr. Husak’s goals, and quite a few meet both.

An example of the last category, and one of cataloger Mark Borckardt’s favorite coins in the entire collection, is the famous 1799 Abbey Cent. It is solidly within the Condition Census of the Sheldon-189 die marriage, and it has a continuous, uninterrupted pedigree dating back to the 1840s.

Walter Husak began collecting coins while summering at his grandparents’ farm in Iowa in 1955. He took the pay he received for his farm chores and began to buy Buffalo Nickels and Lincoln Cents, his coins of choice at the time. During this time, his father worked at the Merchants National Bank in Cedar Rapids. (more…)

Dallas, TX. The Official Auction of the February 2008 Long Beach Coin Expo has been posted by Heritage Auction Galleries on their HA.com website. Combining the lots in the Signature, Husak, and Final Session catalogs of U.S. coins, more than 5,500 lots will be available for viewing and bidding in Long Beach. The Auction dates are February 14-16, 2008, and the auction will be held at the Long Beach (CA) Convention Center.

“This Long Beach has three stars,” commented Heritage President Greg Rohan, “one coin and two collections! The first star is an absolutely classic numismatic rarity. The 1838-O half dollar is one of the most celebrated properties in America’s numismatic history, and mystery surrounds its rich history. The generally accepted mintage figure is 20 coins, based upon a handwritten note that accompanied the 1838-O half dollar sold in June 1894 by Edouard Frossard: “The enclosed specimen coin of the U.S. branch mint at New Orleans is presented to Pres. Bache by Rufus Tyler the coiner. It may be proper to state that not more than 20 pieces were struck with the half dollar dies of 1838.” Eleven examples have been traced, most with significant pedigrees including Boyd, Empire, Hawn, Norweb, Boyd, Green, Anderson-Dupont, Parmalee, Eliasberg, Newcomer, and Atwater (this coin). This may also be the finest known survivor.” (more…)