By Charles Morgan for CoinWeek …..
Heritage Auctions concluded a extremely profitable U.S. coin public sale on the 2025 Winter Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Present to begin the numismatic calendar 12 months. Heritage’s FUN sale is a bellwether for the power of the market, and with 5 cash promoting for greater than one million {dollars} every and a $65.4 million complete haul, indications are that the interest is coming into the 12 months in a wholesome state, persevering with a pattern that started in 2020.
I wish to share just a few insights into 5 highlights from the sale that it’s best to take note of.
1. 1894-S Barber Dime – Realized $2.16 Million
Heritage Auctions’ January 2025 FUN Sale was headlined by the 1894-S Barber Dime, a storied rarity that’s ranked within the prime 10 of Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth’s 100 Biggest U.S. Cash (sixth Ed., 2024). Coin collectors dream of proudly owning one, partially because of its restricted mintage of simply 24 items. No one is aware of for sure why the San Francisco Mint struck 24 dimes in 1894. Including to the intrigue is that these had been Proofs, and never the standard enterprise strikes that the San Francisco Mint would have usually produced. Whereas trendy collectors are conversant in the Proof cash the San Francisco Mint has struck since 1968, it was the purview of the Philadelphia Mint to supply particular variations of its cash for collectors in 1894.
In latest a long time, the 1894-S Barber Dime has been firmly implanted within the milieu of of million-dollar rarities. When collector Bruce Morelan acquired the Eliasberg instance in 2021, Laura Sperber, his companion at Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, stated that he “now owns the trifecta of United States numismatics: an 1804 Draped Bust Greenback, a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, and an 1894-S Barber Dime.”
Morelan paid $1.8 million for his instance in a deal that was brokered by Kevin Lipton and CAC founder John Albanese.
The instance that Heritage provided on this sale is considered one of two owned by famed collector John Clapp and purchased by Louis Eliasberg in 1942 with the help of Stack’s. Different house owners embrace “Simply Having Enjoyable’s” Dan Rosenthal and James A. Stack (no relation). This instance is often listed because the best, although it’s tied with one different coin.
CoinWeek filmed its final public sale look, the place the coin offered for $1,997,500. When one components inflation, that sale worth can be the equal of $2,661,000 in in the present day’s {dollars}, which signifies that within the span of 9 years, this 1894-S Barber Dime has shed about 18% of its worth.
For extra info on the 1894-S Barber Dime, take a look at Greg Reynold’s “The Story of the 1894-S Barber Dime”.
2. 1927-D Saint Gaudens Double Eagle – Realized $3.84 Million
In a post-auction press launch, Ian Russell of GreatCollections introduced that his agency was the successful bidder of Heritage Auctions’ providing of the finest-known 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. The corporate paid $3.84 million for the coin, which now belongs in a set that features the one legal-to-own 1933 Double Eagle, a coin that his agency acquired for a file $18.9 million in 2021.
This instance is a high-quality Gem, among the many best, however not the best recognized for the problem. The 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle turned uncommon when all however about 15 of the 180,000 struck had been culled after the Roosevelt Administration recalled gold cash in 1933 as a part of his plan to fight the Nice Despair.
This instance has commerce fingers not less than 4 instances up to now 20 years and has floated across the grades MS65 earlier than settling on the present MS65+ (PCGS CAC). Greg Reynolds reviewed the coin a number of instances in particular person, writing of the piece that “[i]ts grade is nearly in the course of the 65 vary and it’s a very engaging coin.”
The coin’s $3.84 million worth is a robust worth and far larger than the $3.1 million that Witter Coin acquired for the PCGS MS66+ CAC Eliasberg specimen when it offered it by way of personal treaty in August 2021.
Clearly, the marketplace for uncommon gold is robust for the time being.
3. 1849-C Gold Greenback, Open Wreath – Realized $1.56 Million
The 1849-C Open Wreath Gold Greenback is the rarest Charlotte Mint gold coin and was an vital goal for mega-collector Dell Loy Hansen, who wanted the coin to finish his Charlotte Mint gold coin assortment. Hansen is on a quest to surpass the good Louis Eliasberg by constructing a registry-quality set of each normal difficulty U.S. coin struck since 1792.
Commenting on the vital buy, John Brush, President of DLRC wrote: “The chance to amass this elusive rarity was the cherry on prime of this implausible [Charlotte Mint] assortment. Having grown up lower than two hours from the unique Charlotte Mint, these points have all the time held a particular curiosity for me.”
The $1.56 million sale worth set a file for the problem. The coin is considered one of simply 4 recognized of the range and the one instance recognized in Mint State. A PCGS AU58 coin is the invention coin, one other instance grades PCGS XF40, and the fourth is a well-worn piece that retains harm from a jewellery mount.
To finish the “Tremendous Eliasberg” set, Hansen goes to face quite a few head-to-head matchups for super-rare and conditionally uncommon cash. Completion won’t be as a lot about having the funds however about having the chance. Brush and Hansen didn’t hesitate when their solely shot to get this superb instance introduced itself.
4. 1884 Commerce Greenback – Realized $1.14 Million
With the silver greenback falling out of favor by the early 1870s, Congress licensed manufacturing of a Commerce Greenback to facilitate commerce in Asia. The Commerce Greenback was a 420-grain, .900 nice silver coin struck primarily in San Francisco. When Congress overrode President Rutherford B. Hayes’ veto in 1878, the Silver Greenback returned. This doomed the commerce coin, which from 1879 onward was struck solely in Proof for collectors.
Commerce Greenback Proofs struck between 1879 and 1883 are collectible. Whereas mintages are low by in the present day’s requirements, they often seem at public sale and in seller inventories. The identical can’t be stated for 1884 and 1885 points, which have mintages of 10 and 5, respectively.
The 1884 Commerce Greenback provided by Heritage is traced to Philadelphia Mint Superintendent A. Loudon Snowden. It’s first main sale look was in Numismatic Gallery’s “Adolphe Menjou” sale. Menjou was the “John Voight” of his day and had some curiosity in numismatics – although the Menjou sale was a hype job, as few of the cash in that providing had been really from the actor’s holdings. Collectors who’ve really owned this piece had been W.G. Baldenhofer, Samuel Wolfson, and Jack Lee. This specimen noticed a 39% improve in worth between 2005 and 2014, and has seen a 15% retreat within the decade since.
Maybe the marketplace for trophy Commerce Greenback Proofs will not be as aggressive now. Be that as it might, the client of this piece has a nice American rarity with robust upside.
5. 1943 Lincoln Copper Penny – Realized $264,000
The 1943 Lincoln Copper Penny is likely one of the most coveted American cash of the twentieth century. Whereas atypical in look (one expects pre-1982 Lincoln Cents to be struck in Copper), this extraordinary coin was purported to be struck on a silvery-white, zinc-plated metal planchet. This transformation was made in 1943 to protect copper for the conflict effort. Sadly, the zinc-plated metal experiment was a failure, and in 1944, the Treasury Division switched again to copper.
1943 copper cents had been struck in any respect three Mints, with the 1943-D being distinctive. The Philadelphia points, which don’t carry a mintmark beneath the date, are most often encountered. This doesn’t change the truth that they’re fairly uncommon, nonetheless, with about solely 20 recognized. The instance within the Heritage FUN public sale is graded PCGS AU55 and exhibits simply hint quantities of wear and tear. As uncommon a circulation discover as a Wonka golden ticket, the $264,000 worth trails simply behind its inflation-adjusted 2021 Central States hammer worth, when it appeared in an NGC AU55 CAC holder as a part of the Partrick Assortment. That sale included two 1943 copper cents.
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