On November 7, Stamford, Connecticut played host to the second annual CoinFest show, the largest regional coin show in the New York metropolitan area. Stack’s, the official auctioneer of the event, proudly showcased The Haverford Collection. This sale featured two exciting collections of U.S. paper money, along with a nice selection of U.S. coins to complete this well-rounded offering.

Up first was the Haverford Collection, a diverse and high quality group of obsolete proof notes that sent prices soaring to an all-time high. Breaking records at every turn, the sale of the Haverford collection proved that the market for obsolete proof notes, as well as other specialized paper money niches, is more robust than ever. The auction room was a veritable hive of activity, with no opportunity to be missed as this superb collection crossed the block. The handsome $2 proof on the Bunker Hill Bank from Charlestown, MA was one such record-breaker, closing for an impressive $5,462.50. Thirty lots later, the fabulous New York City Mechanics’ Bank $500 proof note set a new record at $9,775.

There were several other record-breaking realizations from the Haverford Collection, like the $5 red color proof on the Franklin Bank of Baltimore, MD that garnered $4,887.50 when the lot finally closed. High denomination proofs were also avidly sought, as evidenced by the $500 proof from the Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh that set the new price level at $4,312.50.

Next on the menu was the Thomas F.X. O’Mara collection, an excellent selection of postage and fractional currency-related scrip, mimics and look-alikes, and advertising notes. A wide range of bidders, from those present in the auction room to the numerous individuals tuning in over the Internet and on the phone, jumped at the chance to acquire these incredible items. The historical John Ridell New Orleans Post Office one cent scrip was one of the most sought-after pieces in the collection, bringing $1,955 when all was said and done.

Following the highly successful sale of these two collections, the sale progressed into a lovely section of colonial currency. Notables here were pieces like the Faneuil Hall lottery ticket signed by John Hancock in Extremely Fine condition. This rare ticket, only the second one handled by Stack’s, sold for $8,625. Another highlight of this group was the Gem 1764 Pennsylvania Three Pence with a Franklin imprint. These notes have attracted steady attention over the last few years, and high quality pieces like this one (which was graded Gem Uncirculated-65 EPQ by PMG) are tough to come by, as evidenced by the hefty $4,887 it took to win this lot.

This auction sale offered it all-in addition to the wonderful array of paper money, a decent selection of U.S. coins capped off the sale nicely. Coins like the 1850 silver dollar, conservatively graded AU-55 by PCGS and one of only 7,500 struck, proved popular, selling for $5,175. An attractive 1893-S Morgan dollar also attracted a fair amount of attention. With an even lower mintage than originally thought (recent research took the number down from 100,000 to only 77,000 pieces struck), this attractive coin was graded EF-45 Details by ANACS and closed for a final price of $5,750.

The truly rare 1925 Norse American medal struck in 22-karat gold, one of the most anticipated coins of the entire sale, performed nobly. Commemorating the arrival of the first group of Norwegian immigrants to the United States, the net mintage for gold issues is a tiny 47 pieces! This particular specimen was graded Proof-65 Matte by NGC and sold for an impressive $28,750.

Pattern coins saw active bidding as well, with a very pretty 1865 transitional $10 struck in copper. This coin was struck with the regular obverse of 1865 and the With Motto reverse dies that were eventually adopted in 1866. Transitional issues are rare in almost any case, but are certainly so in the lofty condition of Proof-64 RB (PCGS); $5,750 was the closing bid for this item.

U.S. gold issues boasted an 1865 $3 in AU-58 (NGC). This low mintage issue, with a known population that indicates a significantly higher rarity level than some of the more highly touted issues, brought a satisfying $13,800. Closing out this successful sale was a small selection of mineral specimens, an area that has seen significant growth and activity in recent years.

Thanks to all of those who participated in the sale of the Haverford Collection. For further information on participating in or consigning to an upcoming Stack’s auction, contact Stack’s at 123 W 57th Street, NY, NY 10019 or Stack’s at Box 1804, Wolfeboro, NH, 03894. By phone please use 800-566-1580 or 866-811-1804. Full sales results from the Haverford Collection, as well as full photos and text from previous sales, are available online at www.stacks.com.