 |
Ultra-Rare 1854-S Quarter Eagle to be
Offered at Auction!
Dallas, Texas: For collectors of the Liberty quarter
eagles, the 1854-S is considered the ultimate issue. This series presents
several challenges, including the 1841 "Little Princess" and other rarities,
but just 12 examples of the '54-S are known from the original mintage of 246
coins in April 1854. This issue was entirely unknown in numismatic circles
until discovery of the first specimen less than a century ago in
1910. |
|
“This
is a landmark rarity in the field of United States numismatics,” said Greg
Rohan, President of Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, “a classic
piece with few peers. With just a dozen pieces known, it has a rarity similar
to coins such as the 1804 silver dollar, the 1907 Ultra High Relief double
eagle, the 1927-D double eagle, and the 1894-S Barber dime, all coins that have
broken the million-dollar barrier. So far, the record price for an 1854-S
quarter eagle is just $254,000.”
“The specimen that we are
offering is from the Rio Rancho Collection,” Rohan said, “sold by
Superior in October 1974 (lot 89), and apparently off the market since that
time. In fact, that auction appearance over 32 years ago is the only time that
this specimen has ever been sold. The cataloger for Superior related the
previous history of this coin when he said, ‘At the present time, only
nine of these rare coins are known to exist. Walter Breen, in his book on
quarter eagles, lists eight specimens known to him and adds: 'a ninth is
rumored, but unverified.' The piece offered here may or may not be Breen's
ninth coin, but it is definitely not one of the eight specimens known to him.
In fact, it has been in the same family for at least 75 years and has never
before been on the numismatic market.’"
”Currently certified
by PCGS as XF45,” Rohan continued, “this coin exhibits attractive
light yellow-gold color with faint traces of green. The surfaces have a few
faint hairlines that are consistent with most lightly circulated gold coins,
but are otherwise exceptional for their quality. Slight central weakness of the
design details are also evident on this piece, one of the first coins ever
produced at the San Francisco Mint during its first few weeks of operation. A
faint scrape at the left side of the first S in STATES and a tiny tick mark
between the right wing tip and the first A of AMERICA both positively identify
its pedigree.”
“This is an exceptionally rare opportunity for
collectors of Liberty quarter eagles,” Rohan said, “and one that may
not present itself again for many, many years. The winning bidder for this
outstanding coin will possess unchallengeable bragging rights for years to
come.”
Heritage Auction Galleries will present the 1854-S $2 1/2
XF45 PCGS in their upcoming Signature Auction, to be held February 14-17, 2007
as the official auctioneer of the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible
Expo, located at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, 300 East
Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90802.
To
reserve your copy of a catalog for any upcoming Heritage auction, please
contact Nicole Jewell, c/o Heritage Auction Galleries, 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th
Floor, Dallas, TX 75219, or call 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272. |
| ###### |
|
|
Media Contact:
Cathy
Hadd 1-800-872-6467 x 216 Cathy@HA.com
Please direct photography requests to:
Cindy Brenner
CindyB@HA.com 1-800-872-6467 x 289
|
| Publication Date: 01/17/2007 |
|
|
