On March 2nd and 3rd, Stack’s will present items from The Eliasberg & Krause Collections, along with many other important numismatics properties at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

The sale includes items from over 80 consignors and offers over 2,500 lots of coins, tokens, medals, and currency.

In addition to the pieces offered from the Eliasberg & Krause Collections, Stack’s will proudly feature the Peter Scherff Collection of Colonial Coins, the Alan Bleviss Collection of Civil War Tokens Part IV, and selections from the Collection of Jerry Byrne, Sr.

Session One: U.S. Tokens, Medals, and Americana; U.S. Coins

Lot 40 – Ohio, Ashland. (1861-65) Ella Buchanan. Watchmaker. Fuld Rarity-9. MS-62 (NGC).

A modest selection of Hard Times tokens leads us into Part IV of the Alan Bleviss Collection of Civil War Tokens. This particular offering from this immense collection features nearly 300 lots of Ohio store cards. One interesting piece is a rare brass Ella Buchanan token from Ashland that was struck over a McClellan for President token! Cleveland issues include a rare A. & H. token, a Rarity-9 copper piece that is graded MS-63 BN by NGC. Following this piece is a somewhat cryptic Brattin token in copper-nickel; these were probably issued by the watchmaker as repair receipts and not intended as a currency substitute. Urbana tokens feature a copper C. McCarty token in MS-63 (NGC) and an MS-64 RB (NGC) example of the rare Walker’s Ale Depot issue in copper.

Lot 505 – 1855 large cent. N-10. Rarity-5. Slanted 55.
Proof-66 BN (PCGS).

The second half of Session One is comprised of U.S. coins from half cents through quarters, silver and gold commemoratives, sets and errors. Half cents feature a wonderfully appealing and desirable 1794 C-2a example in AU-55 (PGS) from the Pittman Collection and large cents provide a startling high grade Proof 1855 N-10 example. This Slanted 55 variety is graded Proof-66 BN by PCGS, and no Proof of this date has been certified finer in any color designation by PCGS. (more…)

Over the last two days, Stack’s held its annual January Americana in its private gallery in New York City. The sale began with a packed auction room and saw spirited and competitive bidding throughout both sessions.

Over 3,000 lots were sold, and $5 million worth of material changed hands. Properties from over 125 consignors were showcased in this sale, and included items from the Manhattan Collection, the Maryland Historical Society, the Clinton Sherwood Ward Collection of U.S. Gold Coins, Clem Schettino Collection of New Jersey Coppers, the Museum of the Fur Trade, the Alan Bleviss Collection of Civil War Tokens, Part III, and medals from the family of Charles E. Barber.

American Paper Currency began the sale, and Obsolete Currency led the way. The second lot of the sale was an exceptionally rare California and Salt Lake Mail Line $10 note, a note that was not represented in the Ford Collection and is only the second of its kind that we have catalogued. This very rare type is in Very Fine condition and sold for $18,400. Hawaiian obsolete currency offered the rare six-piece set of Lahainaluna Seminary scrip notes, a beautiful set of “token” currency that sold for $14,375. Obsolete notes also featured the exceedingly rare and important Union Bank of Missouri $5 note issued from the branch in Kansas City that sold for $8,050. New York notes showcased a breathtaking Ontario County Bank $1 Proof note from Phelps, NY that was once part of the Ford Collection. This Gem Uncirculated note sold for an impressive $8,625.

Colonial currency lots boasted the extremely rare New York 1709 Twenty Five Shillings in Very Fine condition. Only 800 notes of this denomination were authorized, and competition for this prize was fierce to the tune of $17,250. Vermont colonials offered the newly discovered example of the 1781 Half a Crown note. This item, graded Fine-15 by PMG, came to us via the Museum of the Fur Trade and was reportedly obtained in the Washington, D.C. area in the 1960s before that. It joined a new collection after a top bid of $12,650. (more…)

The first silver coin of the new United States. This denomination is one of the 1792 coins struck before the cornerstone of the new Philadelphia Mint was laid. Researchers Joel Orosz and Carl Herkowitz did considerable research on this issue and their findings were published in the ANS American Journal of Numismatics 15 in 2003.

George Washington himself provided silver coins or bullion to provide the silver for this issue, approximately $100 in value of which $75 in face value in half dimes were produced (the mintage of 1,500 is believed true), the balance of the silver was likely scrap and its disposition is unknown.

These were struck in the cellar of saw maker John Harper as the new Philadelphia Mint was still under construction at the time these were coined. Finished coins were reported by Adam Eckfeldt to have been given to President Washington who distributed them as gifts to friends, many ending up going overseas.

The actual planchets were prepared and delivered to the mint by Thomas Jefferson, who made records of these actions in his personal journals.

As some were given out to dignitaries and friends, this accounts for the number of high-grade examples that are known today. However, the vast majority did circulate and like other early half dimes from that period are often found with considerable surface challenges.

The present example is among the finest known. NGC has certified six in this grade, only three finer, the highest MS-68. The obverse has minor adjustment marks on the rim where every precious grain of silver was measured and any planchet deemed too heavy was filed just enough to get to the correct weight. (more…)